The Effectiveness of the Benson Relaxation Technique on Anxiety and Hemodynamic Parameters in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

To reveal the effectiveness of the Benson’s relaxation technique on the anxiety and hemodynamic parameters of patients with cardiovascular disease. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. Eight electronic databases were searched. The Cochrane Handbook 2023 and the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis 2020 guideline were used to perform the study. A random effects model was used to calculate the combined effects of the interventions, and the robustness of the pooled estimates was assessed through sensitivity analyses. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool version 2. The Grading of Recommendations, Development, and Evaluation approach was used to evaluate the certainty of the evidence. This systematic review and meta-analysis included 8 trials with 538 patients. The Benson’s relaxation technique had moderate-quality evidence for anxiety (Hedge’s g = −0.662, p < .001) and saturation (Hedge’s g = 0.657, p = .001), low-quality evidence for heart rate (Hedge’s g = −0.507, p = .006), and diastolic blood pressure (Hedge’s g = −0.280, p = .036) and very-low-quality evidence for systolic blood pressure (Hedge’s g = −0.687, p = .002). No significant effect was observed on respiratory rate (Hedge’s g = −0.578, p = .051) with very low-quality evidence. Sensitivity analyses showed variable robustness. An additional subgroup analysis of the Benson’s relaxation intervention’s effect on anxiety in surgical and nonsurgical patient groups revealed that this intervention significantly reduced anxiety in nonsurgical patient groups (Hedge’s g = −0.603, p < .001) and systolic blood pressure (Hedge’s g = −0.822, p < .001), but it was not effective in the surgical patient population (p = .072 and p = .097, respectively). This systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that, although the certainty of the evidence varies, Benson’s relaxation techniques may offer potential benefits for certain outcomes. The current evidence supports cautious clinical interpretation and emphasizes the need for high-quality randomized controlled trials.