MedPath

The Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Laughter Therapy on Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Infertility, Female
Interventions
Behavioral: Progressive muscle relaxation+laughter therapy
Registration Number
NCT04782882
Lead Sponsor
Necmettin Erbakan University
Brief Summary

Purpose: This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercises and laughter therapy on the mental health and treatment outcomes of women receiving IVF treatment.

Design: Randomized controlled trial with two parallel groups Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (IG; n = 71) and control group (CG; n = 70). The progressive muscle relaxation and laughter therapy was administered to women in the intervention group in the IVF center for 3-4 times and 40 minutes. The CG received routine care. Data were collected using baseline and oocyte retrieval day STAI and BDI.

Detailed Description

Infertility, one of the important components of reproductive health, affects one in four couples in developing countries.The emergence of assisted reproductive techniques such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) gives infertile couples the opportunity to have both pregnancy and a baby. Couples are affected emotionally during IVF treatment and women experience more problems than men. The majority of women experience emotional problems such as anxiety and depression because of infertility, invasive treatment procedures, physiological effects of gonadotropin stimulation and positive outcome expectation.Considering the effect of anxiety and depression on infertile women, it is important to examine the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation exercises and laughter therapy as complementary therapy in psychosocial care.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
141
Inclusion Criteria
  • Women between the ages of 20 and 46,
  • Literate in Turkish language,
  • Diagnosed with infertility by an obstetrician or medical doctor
  • Those with primary or secondary infertility
Exclusion Criteria
  • A diagnosed psychiatric disorder,
  • prior experience in relaxation intervention,
  • Lack of ovarian response in previous treatments
  • Undergoing frozen embryo transfer.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
intervention groupProgressive muscle relaxation+laughter therapyIn the first session of the researcher (S.K.), the participants were explained the effects of anxiety and stress on the treatment in simple terms for 5 min. Then, information was given about the effects of laughter therapy and progressive muscle relaxation on the body. Laughter therapy was applied for 15-20 min. Then, the lights were turned off and progressive muscle relaxation exercises were performed for 15-20 min under candlelight and accompanied by music. The procedures were received as a group (2-6 people) in 3-4 face-to-face sessions.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Mental health state (Depression)Before intervention begins and through intervention completion on average of 15 days

State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI): To measure anxiety levels of the participants, the Turkish version of STAI developed by Spielberger was used. High scores indicate high anxiety level, while low scores indicate less anxiety level.

Mental health state (anxiety)Before intervention begins and through intervention completion on average of 15 days

Beck Depression Inventory: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item self-reporting scale consisting of emotional, cognitive, somatic, and motivational components to measure the level and severity changes of depressive symptoms. In BDI, it is seen that as the total score obtained from the scale increases, the individual's level of experiencing depressive emotions increases proportionally.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Fertility treatment results15 days after embryo transfer

Rate of positive Hcg blood pregnancy test

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Sibel KİYAK

🇹🇷

Selçuklu, Konya, Turkey

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath