The effectiveness of Benson relaxation methods on menopausal complications in postmenopausal women

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.