Impact of Virtual Training of Jacobson and Benson Relaxation Techniques on the Anxiety among Home-Isolated COVID-19 Patients.

Background: High anxiety is a common mental symptom in COVID-19 patients, mainly due to the unknown nature of the disease and the home isolation of patients for recovery. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of the virtual training of relaxation techniques, including Jacobson and Benson techniques, on the anxiety of home-isolated patients with COVID-19.

Materials and methods: This clinical trial was conducted in 2020 in Hamadan Sina Hospital, where 60 COVID-19 patients were randomly allocated to an experimental (n = 30) and a control (n = 30) group. Both groups received the usual care. However, in addition to the usual care, COVID-19 patients in the experimental group received relaxation technique training, including Jacobson and Benson techniques, in the form of pamphlets and instructional videos according to the schedule (twice a week for 4 weeks) via WhatsApp. The Spielberger Anxiety Inventory was filled out by subjects before and after the intervention.

Results: The mean scores of explicit, implicit, and overall anxiety were not significantly different between the control and experimental groups prior to the intervention (P>0.05). However, the mean score of explicit, implicit, and overall anxiety in the control and experimental groups differed significantly after the intervention (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that Jacobsen and Benson relaxation techniques are effective in reducing anxiety among COVID-19 patients. Therefore, it is recommended to perform complementary therapeutic interventions for these patients, in addition to the administration of medications.