Objective: to analyse the effects of relaxation as a nursing intervention on the depression
levels of hospitalised women with high-risk pregnancies. Methods:a randomised clinical trial realised in a reference centre for high-risk
pregnancies. The sample consisted of 50 women with high-risk pregnancies (25 in
the control group and 25 in the intervention group). The Benson relaxation
technique was applied to the intervention group for five days. Control variables
were collected using a predesigned form, and the signs and symptoms of depression
were evaluated using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.0, was used with a
significance level of 5%. The Wilcoxon and paired t-tests were used to evaluate
depression levels between two timepoints. Using categorical data, the McNemar test
was used to analyse differences in depression severity before and after the
intervention. Results: depression levels decreased in the intervention group five days after the
relaxation technique was applied (4.5 ± 3, p<0.05) compared with the levels at
the first timepoint (10.3±5.9). Conclusion: as a nursing intervention, relaxation was effective in decreasing the symptoms of
depression in hospitalised women with high-risk pregnancies.
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