Auricular Acupuncture for Stress and Anxiety in Correctional Staff: A Pilot Feasibility Study in a High-Security Psychiatric Unit

Abstract

Background:

Correctional facility staff experience elevated stress and anxiety levels due to their occupational environment, which may adversely affect mental health, sleep, and workplace functioning. Auricular acupuncture (AA), particularly the standardized National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) protocol, has shown promise in various clinical populations but remains underinvestigated in correctional settings.

Objective:

To explore the feasibility and perceived effects of AA in reducing stress and improving well-being among correctional staff working in a psychiatric prison unit.

Methods:

In this pilot feasibility study, 10 staff members voluntarily received weekly AA treatments over 6 weeks, following the NADA protocol (Shen Men, Sympathetic, Liver, Lung, Kidney). Postintervention, participants completed semistructured interviews assessing perceived changes in stress, sleep, emotional regulation, and the feasibility of implementation.

Results:

Most participants reported subjective improvements in psychological stress, sleep quality, emotional regulation, and resilience to daily occupational stressors, although individual responses varied. The intervention was perceived as feasible, acceptable, and free of adverse effects.

Conclusion:

This pilot feasibility study demonstrates that AA is safe, feasible, and well accepted among correctional staff working in a high-stress psychiatric prison unit, with participants reporting perceived improvements in stress, sleep, and emotional regulation. These preliminary findings support the feasibility of integrating AA into institutional wellness programs while highlighting the need for larger controlled studies with diverse populations and quantitative outcome measures to establish effectiveness.