Effect of Benson's Relaxation Therapy on Stress and Physiological Parameters among Women with Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia (PE) belongs to the spectrum of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and if untreated leads to dangerous consequences for both the mother and the baby. Globally preeclampsia is responsible for 76,000 maternal and 500,000 fetal deaths each year. In developing countries around 40,000 women die each year due to PE or eclampsia. PE alone is estimated to account for about 40% to 60% of all maternal deaths (Von-Dadelszen & Magee, 2016; WHO, 2015) In Egypt, the prevalence of preeclampsia was 6% to 8% of all pregnancies (WHO, 2015). Objective: Evaluate the effect of Benson's relaxation therapy on stress and physiological parameters among women with preeclampsia. Setting: The study was conducted in preeclampsia unit at El-Shatby Maternity Hospital. Subjects: A convenience sample of 80 pregnant women attending the previously mentioned setting. Tools: Three tools were used for data collection. The first tool was Women’ Basic Data Structured Interview Schedule to identify data related to women’ personal and socio-demographic characteristics and reproductive history. The second tool was Physiological Parameters Sheet to assess vital signs. The third tool was Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale Short Version (PSS-10) to measure subjects' level of stress. Results: The study results revealed a highly statistically significant difference between the studied groups in relation to decrease their stress level (P=0.000*) and maintaining physiological parameters (blood pressure value, pulse rate & respiratory rate) within normal ranges (P=0.000*). Conclusion: Benson relaxation can be used as an effective intervention to decrease stress level and improve the physiological parameters among pre-eclamptic women. Recommendations: Benson relaxation technique is an effective intervention for pre-eclamptic women and thus should be included in the nursing care plan of this group of pregnant women.