Effect of Emotional Self-Regulation Strategies and Systematic Desensitization on Stress Level of Adult Dental Patients: A Clinical Trial

This study aimed to compare the effects of emotional self-regulation strategies and systematic desensitization on stress level of adult dental patients.  

The study population included 40 adult dental patients that were selected by purposeful sampling and were classified into two experimental groups of emotional self-regulation strategy (n=20) and systematic desensitization (n=20). Data were collected using a stress questionnaire. The experimental groupsreceived 8 sessions of 90-minute emotional self-regulation strategy and desensitization instructions. Data were analyzed by t-test and paired t-test.

Emotional self-regulation and systematic desensitization affected the stress level of adult dental patients. However, there was no significant difference between the effects of emotional self-regulation and systematic desensitization on stress levels of adult dental patients (P>0.05).

Emotional self-regulation and systematic desensitization instructions equally affected the stress level of adult dental patients in this study.