The effects of guided imagery on test anxiety among the 1st-year nursing students: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Many students suffer from test anxiety (TA). Some nonpharmacological therapies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, have been proposed for TA management. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of guided imagery (GI) on TA among the 1st year nursing students. Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on forty nursing students conveniently recruited from the Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran. Participants were randomly allocated to either a control (n = 20) or an intervention (n = 20) group. In the intervention group, participants were provided with a 30-min GI audio file to listen to once daily in the evening for 1 week. Students' TA was measured both before and after the intervention, i.e., before their physiology midterm examination and before their physiology final examination. The data were analyzed through the Chi-square, paired-sample t, and independent sample t-tests. Results: The study was completed with 38 students. The intervention and the control groups did not differ significantly from each other respecting the pretest mean score of TA (50.50 ± 13.90 vs. 44.94 ± 7.34; P= 0.13). However, the posttest mean score of TA in the intervention group was significantly less than the control group (33.90 ± 14.39 vs. 42.83 ± 13.56; P= 0.05). Although the mean score of TA did not significantly change in the control group (P = 0.55), it significantly reduced in the intervention group (P = 0.003). Conclusion: Thirty-minute GI performed once daily for 1 week is effective in reducing TA among nursing students