The Effect of Relaxation Techniques on Earthquake Survivors

Medipol Health Group

Status: Completed

Conditions: Earthquake; Mental Health Issue

Treatments: Other: Progresive Muscle Relaxation and Breathing Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06013280

IstanbulMUH-FTR-SIS-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of relaxation and breathing exercises on individuals experiencing post-earthquake stress-related symptoms.

Full description

Earthquakes negatively affect survivors both physically and psychologically. Early psychological symptoms after disasters are considered normal responses to an abnormal event. Therefore, it is not unexpected to feel very intense negative emotions after such traumas. However, the chronicity of these negative emotions puts the lives of individuals at risk. Mental problems such as stress, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and anxiety are seen at high levels among earthquake survivors. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of relaxation and breathing exercises applied to earthquake survivors who experienced post-earthquake stress-related symptoms.

There are two gropus: relaxing exercise group and control group. Relaxing and breathing exercise protocol is only for relaxing exercise group. A protocol consisting of 40 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation exercise and breathing exercises, 3 times a week for 4 weeks, was planned. Control group participants were asked to continue their daily lives. Evaluations were made before and 4 weeks after the intervention and stress-related symptoms were measured.

Enrollment: 46 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 25 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals with a Beck anxiety inventory score greater than 8 and anxiety experience for more than 1 month
• Individuals who experienced the earthquake of February 6, 2023 Kahramanmaraş / Türkiye and agreed to participate in the study
• Individuals without cognitive impairment
• Individuals who can understand and apply verbal commands in Turkish

Exclusion criteria

• Any history of psychiatric medication support for the last 6 months
• Any history of psychological problems before the earthquake

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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46 participants in 2 patient groups

Relaxing Exercise Group

Experimental group

Description:

Relaxing exercise group participants applied 40 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation and breathing exercises, 3 times a week for 4 weeks

Treatment:

Other: Progresive Muscle Relaxation and Breathing Exercise

Control Group

No Intervention group

Description:

This group received no intervention, continued their daily life as usual.