The Effects of Reiki on Menopausal Symptoms and Depression Levels in the Postmenopausal Period: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Design This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial in which participants were randomly assigned to Reiki or control groups.

Location and time The study was conducted with postmenopausal women registered at a Family Health Center (FHC) located in the center of a province in eastern Türkiye between May 2023 and July 2023. The center is a primary healthcare institution that provides general healthcare services and reproductive healthcare services (such as family planning, education, and counseling). There is no application specific to the menopausal period in the center. This center was randomly selected considering its socioeconomic level, proximity to the city center, and the number of women registered in the center. The center serves approximately 15.000 individuals, of which approximately 5100 are women. In addition, there was a quiet and calm hall in the center where Reiki could be practiced.

Population and sample of the study The population of the study consisted of postmenopausal women registered to the determined FHC. Women who applied to the FHC for any reason, agreed to participate voluntarily, and met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The criteria for inclusion in the study were as follows: Those who were between the ages of 45-55, did not have hearing problems, did not have any psychiatric diseases, were in a natural menopause period, and did not take hormone replacement therapy.

A web-based software was used to determine the sample size. Priori-power analysis was performed to estimate the appropriate sample size. In the literature, the mean score of menopausal symptoms, which is the primary result of the study, was found to be 16.6 (standard deviation 8.9). The sample size was calculated as 41 for each group (41 Reiki group, 41 control group), assuming a 5% error level, bidirectional significance level, 95% confidence interval, 80% representation of the population, and assuming to create a decrease in the post-intervention menopausal symptoms mean score by 5 points.

To reach the sample size, 140 women were evaluated in terms of eligibility criteria. 47 women who did not meet the inclusion criteria and 19 women who refused to participate in the study were excluded from the study. 7 out of 50 women included in the Reiki group were excluded from the study because they did not continue the sessions after the second Reiki session. Seven of the 53 women included in the control group were excluded from the study because they did not want to continue the study. The research was completed with a total of 82 women, 41 of them in the Reiki group and 41 of them in the control group.