Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Active, not recruiting
Administrative data
| NCT number |
NCT06364436 |
| Other study ID # |
AksarayU1 |
| Secondary ID |
|
| Status |
Active, not recruiting |
| Phase |
N/A
|
| First received |
|
| Last updated |
|
| Start date |
June 3, 2022 |
| Est. completion date |
April 10, 2024 |
Study information
| Verified date |
April 2024 |
| Source |
Aksaray University |
| Contact |
n/a |
| Is FDA regulated |
No |
| Health authority |
|
| Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of Reiki therapy applied to women in the
postpartum period on the risk of fatigue and postpartum depression.
Description:
The postpartum period is a process in which the reproductive organs return to their prenatal
state during the six weeks after birth, physiological and anatomical changes as well as
physical, social and emotional changes occur in the woman, and new roles and responsibilities
are learned. Most of the problems seen in this period appear in the first days and continue
for periods ranging from six weeks to a year. Risk factors such as hormonal changes seen in
the postpartum period in women, having a first baby, stressful life events, insufficient
social support and problems in relationships with the spouse cause sleep disruption and
fatigue, and therefore can negatively affect the psychological health of the woman.
While many women easily adapt to the physiological, psychological and social changes that
occur with pregnancy and birth, psychological problems at various levels occur in women who
cannot adapt. One of the psychological problems that develop during this period is postpartum
depression. Postpartum depression develops due to biological, psychological and
socio-cultural factors, can be seen within the first year after birth, disrupts the health of
the mother and the family, and is characterized by symptoms such as sadness, hopelessness,
weight changes, chronic fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and difficulty in
thinking and concentrating. It is a mental illness that is serious and requires treatment.
When symptoms of fatigue and depression in the postpartum period are not noticed early and
the woman is not provided with the support she needs, this makes it difficult for women to
adapt to the postpartum period.
According to the holistic care philosophy, which has an important place in nursing and
accepts that the whole is more than the sum of its parts, nurses should handle the
individuals they care for with a holistic approach that includes physical health as well as
emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. For this reason, in addition to pharmacological
methods applied to reduce the fatigue levels of women in the postpartum period and reduce the
risk of depression, complementary and alternative therapy methods such as massage, listening
to music, acupressure, relaxation exercises and Reiki are also used in nursing research.
Reiki, one of these alternative therapy methods, is based on the principle that a blockage or
congestion in one of the energy centers such as the head, neck, chest, abdominal cavity and
groin causes physical and psychological disorders. Reiki, a Japanese word, means life energy
that exists everywhere. Reiki therapy has been defined as a complementary health approach in
which the practitioner places his/her hands on or just above a person to direct universal
energy to the receiving individual. Reiki, one of the healing methods based on life energy,
is increasingly used in nursing studies. In studies conducted in the field of women's health
in the literature; It has been determined that Reiki applied to female patients undergoing
outpatient surgery before the operation reduces heart rate, systolic blood pressure and
anxiety levels and reduces pain and analgesic use after abdominal hysterectomy. In studies
conducted on the use of Reiki therapy in the postpartum period, Reiki applied to the
post-cesarean intervention group on the first and second post-operative days reduced pain
intensity, analgesic need and anxiety level, but had no effect on vital signs, it was found
to reduce pain after cesarean section and it was not effective in reducing pain after
cesarean section.
Although Reiki therapy has been proven to be effective in coping with many symptoms, studies
on its effect on the level of fatigue and depression in the postpartum period are limited. It
is predicted that Reiki will reduce the risk of depression by reducing the fatigue of women
in the postpartum period and causing spiritual relaxation, due to its advantages such as not
being an invasive procedure, ease of application and having no negative effects. For this
reason, the research was conducted to evaluate the effect of Reiki therapy applied to women
in the postpartum period on the risk of fatigue and postpartum depression.
