Clinical trial NCT06013280: The Effect of Relaxation Techniques on Earthquake Survivors
Official title: The Effect of Relaxation and Breathing Exercise on Post-Earthquake Stress Related Symptoms
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Earthquake
Mental Health Issue
Keywords: earthquake
physiotherapy
breathing exercise
relaxing exercise
stress
mental health
Lead sponsor: Istanbul Medipol University Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2023-08-28
Enrollment: 46
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 25
Maximum age (years): 60
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Two groups with a control group
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

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

Detailed 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.

Eligibility criteria: 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

Primary outcomes:
measure: Beck Anxiety (BAI)
timeFrame: four weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: The Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS)
timeFrame: four weeks
measure: Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
timeFrame: four weeks
measure: Perceived Stress Scale -10
timeFrame: four weeks
measure: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
timeFrame: four weeks
measure: SF-12
timeFrame: four weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Istanbul
country: Turkey
facility: Istanbul Medipol University
state: Beykoz
Study officials:
affiliation: Istanbul Medipol Hospital
name: Sabiha Irem Sancaktar, M.Sc.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: