Effects of Bensons Relaxation Technique on Occupational Stress in Midwives: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Occupational stress is one of the most common problems and serious threat to health of workforce in the world. Midwives working in the delivery ward experience a high level of stress in their occupational life, which necessitates using preventive and effective measures. This study aimed to examine the effect of Benson's relaxation on occupational stress among midwives working in the delivery ward.Material and Methods: This pre and post quasi-experimental study was conducted on midwives working at hospitals in Qazvin in 2018. Sixty-three midwives working in the delivery ward with a minimum one year of working experience in rotating shifts were included in the study. The subjects were selected through accessible sampling. After the training, the subjects performed Benson's relaxation technique twice a day for 4 weeks. Occupational stress was measured before and after the intervention using the standard questionnaires of occupational stre (HSE). . Data were analyzed using the SPSS24. Statistical analysis was performed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, t-test and Wilcoxon.Result: The mean age of the participants was 34.92 ± 7.34 years. The mean of occupational stress in midwifes before and after the intervention was 120 ± 14.5 and 124 ± 14.7 respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P- value< 0.05).Conclusion: This study revealed that Benson relaxation technique could be effective in reducing occupational stress in midwives working in the delivery ward.

Keywords:

Benson relaxation , occupational stress , midwife , delivery ward.