Distant Reiki Therapy on Postpartum Period Fatigue and Depression

The Effect of Distant Reiki Therapy on the Postpartum Fatigue and Depression Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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.

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.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants were 18 years of age or older
• At least a primary school graduate
• Primiparous and multiparous, with a full-term (between 38-40 weeks) and healthy newborn
• Without any acute or chronic health problems, without communication problems that could answer the data collection tools used in the study
• Women who had not received body-mind therapy (yoga, reiki, meditation, etc.) in the last six months
• Women who agreed to participate to the research

Exclusion Criteria:

• Women who could not be contacted for the pre-test application on the 13th postpartum day
• Women who developed a health problem in themselves or/or their newborn
• Women who were diagnosed with a neuro-psychiatric disease
• Women who could not be reached by phone or SMS on the 13th and 14th postpartum days
• Women who wanted to leave the study voluntarily