Interventions
Anxiety, Sarason anxiety, anxiety, pain
One hour before the test, the demographic information form, and the Sarason anxiety inventory were completed by the samples of both groups. The place of auricular acupressure in the experimental group was the Shen Men point. This point is located in the lateral triangular fossa of the auricles [The interventions in this study were conducted by two individuals, a male therapist who was a nursing graduate and a female therapist who was the first author of the study and a medical student. Prior to the study, both therapists received training in acupressure and their competence to perform the intervention was confirmed by an acupuncturist. The training involved seven one-hour face-to-face sessions conducted in the office of the acupuncturist.After obtaining permission from the university, the researchers visited the test location, which was situated in the medical school, to carry out the sampling process. During this visit, the objectives of the study were explained to the students, and those who expressed willingness to participate were included in the study.One hour before the test, both intervention and control groups completed the demographic information form and the Sarason Anxiety Inventory. The intervention group received auricular acupressure at the Shen Men point, which is located in the lateral triangular fossa of the auricles [The selection of the Shen Men point for acupressure was based on several considerations. Firstly, the well-established calming effects of this point in traditional Chinese medicine have been widely recognized. Previous studies have also examined its effectiveness in alleviating pain and anxiety (19, 24). Secondly, the accessibility of the Shen Men point makes it feasible to utilize acupressure in the ear, provided its efficacy is confirmed (24). Furthermore, various acupressure points have been employed in studies focusing on the management of test anxiety (21, 25, 26). Hence, our current study aimed to assess the potential impact of acupressure at the Shen Men point on reducing test anxiety among medical students.
Location of Shen Men and Sham pointsTo perform the intervention, the therapists first washed their hands thoroughly to ensure hygiene. The subjects were then instructed to sit in a chair, adopting a relaxed position. In the intervention group, the therapists applied acupressure to the Shen Men acupoint bilaterally. The technique involved using the index finger to apply circular, gentle, and uniform pressure to the acupoint. The pressure was exerted for a duration of ten minutes.In the control group, the Sham point was pressed in the same manner as the intervention group. Following the intervention, both the intervention and control groups completed the Sarason Anxiety Inventory to assess the effects of the intervention on test anxiety. It should be noted that no dropout occurred in the study (Fig. 
The CONSORT diagram of the study