THE EFFECT OF BENSON RELAXATION AND AROMATHERAPY ON ANXIETY AND PHYSIOLOGICAL INDICATORS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY

BACKGROUND & AIM: The aim of this study was comparison of Benson Relaxation and Aromatherapy on anxiety levels of patients experiencing coronary angiography. MATERIALS & METHODS: This study was a quasi-experimental three groups clinical trial. Community search was patients with undergoing coronary angiography. This study was performed on 102 patients hospitalized for coronary angiography in Sari FatemehZahra hospital, Iran in 2013.They were selected based on purposive sampling and randomly divided to control(n=33), Benson Relaxation(n=34)and Aromatherapy(n=33 ) groups. Spielberger scale was used to measure the anxiety, and the data were analyzed by using descriptive and analytic statistics. RESULTS: After using Benson Relaxation and Aromatherapy, the anxiety level decreased significantly. The difference was significant (p<0/05) between the mean numbers of Benson Relaxation and control groups, and between Aromatherapy and control groups. But the results showed no significant statistical difference between the Benson Relaxation and Aromatherapy groups after the intervention. The variables of systolic blood pressure, pulse rate and respiratory rate in the Aromas and Relaxation groups reduced significantly comparing to the control group. CONCLUSION: According to finding of this study, using aromatherapy and relaxation before stressful situations like diagnostic technics, could be used to keep anxiety level in normal range. For decreasing anxiety, applying complementary methods are highly recommended.