Rheumatoid arthritis, among the rheumatic inflammatory diseases, is the most common one (1% prevalence in many societies and in Iran as well). Besides physical disorders, patients experience mental disorders. Between mental and physical signs, a defective cycle exists, as a result, disease can be stimulated by stress or emotional activities. In this research Benson relaxation was used to control the disease activity. This study is an experimental clinical trial that was carried out in the rheumatology research clinic at Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran during 2000-1(1376-80). The study population were 50 rheumatoid arthritis patients who were divided into two groups, (case =26 and control=24 persons). The case group were trained regarding Benson relaxation individually by showing them video tapes and both groups were followed up for 8 weeks. In order to evaluate the effect of bens on relaxation, health assessment, laboratory findings (Hb, Pit, ESR, CRP, RF) well being, anxiety and depression were measured after and before the intervention in both groups. Statistical analysis showed no differences between the two groups in all of the research variables before the intervention. The mean of anxiety (p= 0.0001), depression (p=0.001), well being (p=0.001), in both groups showed a significant difference in the post intervention stage. Most factors related to health assessment and laboratory findings showed no significant differences. This study showed that Benson relaxation can reduce disease activity indexes. In order to assess the role of other variables, another study with a greater sample size and intervention time is needed.

Background and aims: Many patients with chronic renal failure are fatigue due to disease processand long-term treatment with hemodialysis. Because of very different side effects of medication, using complementary methods seems to be reasonable way to reduce fatigue in hemodialysis patients. This study aimed to effect of Benson relaxation on fatigue in hemodialysis patients.Materials and methods: The present research is an experimental controlled trial study conducted on 65 hemodialysis patients selected from Vasei Sabzevar Educational hospital in 2013. Patients were selected using convenience sampling method according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and then were divided randomly into two groups(33 patients) in experimental and (32 patients) in control group. The experimental group received Benson relaxation for 15 minute, twice a day during one month. control group received no intervention. Datacollecting instruments included demographic information form and Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) questionnaire were completed before, 2 and 4 weeks after intervention. Data were analyzed by means of SPSS-11.5 and SAS 9.1 statistical software using descriptive statistics, T test, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney Test and generalized estimation equations.Results: Mean score of fatigue in the experimental group was 6.97±0.84, 5.25±1.07and 3/92±1.11 before intervention, after two weeks and four weeks later, respectively. Analysis of the data revealed a significant difference between the mean score of fatigue of before and after intervention in the experimental group(P<0.01).Conclusion: Benson relaxation can be considered as a costeffective, simple and secure way to decrease the fatigue in the Hemodialysis patients.

Background and purpose: Hemodialysis patients undergo high levels of psychological stress.Therefore, the present study has been conducted to determine the effect of Benson relaxation on stress among in Hemodialysis patients.Materials and methods: The present research is a two-group experimental controlled trial done in 2011, in which 40 Available Hemodialysis patients were selected from ImamKhomeini and Fatemeh Zahra Sari Educational hospital as the interventional group, and 40 Hemodialysis patients in the same hospital as the control group, and Benson relaxation training with video tape to intervention group and were performed by experimental group for 15 minute twice a day during one months, after primary training with video tape by the researcher. Data-collecting instruments included demographic information forms and a specific hemodialysis stress scale questionnaire (HSS-Baldree1982), which were evaluated before and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS18 statistical software using descriptive statistics, T test, Chi-square, co-variate analysis.Results: Mean stress value in case group before intervention was 64.75 ± 18.173 and after intervention was 36.2 ± 9.471. Analysis between the mean stress values of the study participants showed significant difference before and after the intervention in the case group (P<0.001). While this difference was not significant in the control group.Conclusion: Performing the low-costand simple Benson relaxation is accompanied by Improving living conditions of Hemodialysis patients, and a positive step can be taken toward Improvement and prevention of the patients' psychological problems as well as other chronic disorders through applying these practices.

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Benson relaxation technique on anxiety of critical care nursesBackground. Anxiety is one of the important factors affecting nursing profession and the quality of care. Some complementary interventions such as Benson relaxation techniques may affects anxiety.Method. This was an experimental study (pretest-posttest with control group design) in which 63 critical care nurses of Shahid Rajaie Cardiovascular, Medical and Research Center, Tehran in 2015. Stratified samples were selected based on ward and randomly allocated to to experimental and control group. Benson relaxation technique was implemented by experimental group for 20 minutes, twice a day, with at least six hours interval, and for a two weeks period. Data were collected through demographic questionnaire and Spielberger questionnaire. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 21 using Chi-square test, t-test, Fisher's exact test and repeated measures ANOVA.Findings. In experimental group, the mean and standard deviation of anxiety, before the intervention and one and two weeks after intervention were 42.19±4.85, 43.67±7.55 and 42.12±6.12, respectively. A week after the intervention, the two groups had significant difference in terms of anxiety. The mean score of anxiety in the control group was more than nurses in the intervention group (P=0.011). Also, following application of Benson relaxation, anxiety intensity decreased in the intervention group as compared to baseline. In the control group, the mean score of anxiety increased overtime.Conclusion. Implementation of Benson relaxation can reduce the anxiety of critical care nurses. This method is proposed as part of the nurses' anxiety reduction programs by managers and officials in medical centers.

Introduction: One of the most critical stages of women's life is menopause. However, Menopause is associated with emotional and social crises. Benson sedation affects physical and mental signs and symptoms. This study was performed with aim to determine the effectiveness of Benson relaxation method on menopausal complications in women. Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was performed on 80 postmenopausal women who referred to the health centers in Mashhad in 2019. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups of intervention and control (n=40 in each group). The intervention group, in addition to routine care, practiced Benson relaxation method in 8 sessions (once a week), and the control group received routine care. The questionnaires were completed for both intervention and control groups at the beginning of the intervention and one week after the end of the last session. The tools were the questionnaire of the severity of menopausal symptoms, sexual function and quality of life. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 16) and Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, Chi-square or Fisher, and Wilcoxon test. P<0. 05 was considered statistically significant. Results: According to Mann-Whitney test, there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups before the intervention in terms of the score of severity of menopausal symptoms (p= 0. 164) and sexual function (p= 0. 172) and the two groups were homogeneous. In contrast, the experimental and control groups had a statistically significant difference in terms of quality of life (p= 0. 002). Mann-Whitney test showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups after the intervention in terms of the score of severity of menopausal symptoms (p <0. 001), sexual function (p = 0. 021) and quality of life (p = 0. 001). It was better in the intervention group. Conclusion: Benson relaxation intervention has an important role in increasing the quality of life and reducing menopausal symptoms and sexual function. It is a safe, effective, and inexpensive way to control the symptoms of postmenopausal women.

Introduction: The effect of emotional intelligence on the success of individuals in health care organizations is very important. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Benson relaxation and progressive muscle relaxation on emotional intelligence of nurses in special departments. Materials and Methods: In this clinical trial study, 105 nurses of the intensive care units of Ayatollah Kashani and Hajar hospitals in Shahrekord during 2018-2019, were randomly divided into two groups: Benson’ s progressive muscle relaxation and relaxation intervention group (35 people) and one group Control (35 people). The Benson relaxation intervention group performed Benson relaxation exercises for up to 20 minutes once a day for three months. The progressive muscle relaxation intervention group performed relaxation exercises for 45 minutes during three months on a daily basis. The data was collected through questionnaire of Shirring Emotional Intelligence and demographic information that was completed in three groups during before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 18 and with significant level (P= 0. 05). Findings: Based on the results of ANOVA test with repeated measurement, the mean scores of emotional intelligence before and immediately after intervention in the progressive muscle relaxation group were significantly different (P= 0. 008), while this difference was not significant in the control group (P = 0. 515). It was also found that the mean score of emotional intelligence in Benson relaxation group was not significant before and immediately after the intervention (P = 0. 345), while before and three months after intervention in Benson relaxation group was significant (P = 0. 002). Conclusion: The results showed that progressive muscle relaxation and Benson have a beneficial effect on emotional intelligence and can be implemented and educated as useful tools for improving the emotional intelligence of nurses in critical care units.