COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPRESSURE AND BENSON’S RELAXATION ON THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY

Cardiovascular diseases are considered one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Given the increasing trend of heart diseases, one of the most common diagnostic and therapeutic methods that aid in the diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases is coronary angiography. Patients undergoing coronary angiography report significant anxiety, and various pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are employed to cope with this anxiety. Non-pharmacological methods have gained popularity due to the numerous side effects of pharmacological interventions. This study aims to compare the effects of Acupressure and Benson relaxation on the level of anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography at the Seyed Al-Shohada Teaching and Treatment Center in Urmia in 2022.

This study is a quasi-experimental study conducted on 90 patients who were candidates for coronary angiography in Urmia. The samples were selected using convenience sampling, and the participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: control, Benson relaxation, and Acupressure. This study used a demographic questionnaire and the Spielberger anxiety questionnaire to collect data. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS ver.22 statistical software.

The results showed a statistically significant difference in the mean anxiety scores after the intervention compared to before the intervention in both the Acupressure and Benson relaxation groups(p<0.05). However, in the control group, no statistically significant difference was observed in anxiety scores before and after the intervention (p>0.05), and after the intervention, the mean anxiety score in the two intervention groups had decreased compared to the control group.

The present study demonstrated that both Acupressure and Benson relaxation interventions can be effective in reducing the level of anxiety in candidates for angiography. Therefore, considering the positive effects of Acupressure and Benson relaxation interventions, they are recommended as methods for alleviating anxiety.