An internet-based intervention to face stress during social isolation with guided relaxation and meditation: protocol for a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Psychophysiological stress and lower well-being are becoming a relevant issue during prolonged social isolation periods. Relaxation practices might represent helpful exercises to cope with anxiety and stressful sensations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present research protocol is to test whether remote relaxation practices like natural sounds, deep respiration, and body scan may promote relaxation and emotional state, and reduce psychomotor activation and the preoccupation related to the COVID-19 pandemics. METHODS: The study consists of 3 experimental groups which will randomly receive online audio clips containing a single session of guided breathing exercise, guided body scan exercise, or natural sounds. The participants will listen to one of the fully automated audio clips for 7 minutes and pre-post complete self-assessed scales on perceived relaxation, psychomotor activation, level of worries associated with COVID-19 and emotional state. At the end of the session, qualitative reports on subjective experience will be asked too. RESULTS: Analysis will test the difference in efficacy between audio clips in an internet-based intervention on 252 subjects (84 per group), investigating whether natural sounds or remote guided practices like deep respiration and body scan enhance in a positive way the perceived psychological state. CONCLUSIONS: The study will provide information on if and to what extent guided practices can help in reducing psychological side-effects related to COVID-19 social isolation.