Effects of relaxation on self-esteem of patients with cancer: a randomized clinical trial

Cancer is usually associated with decreased self-esteem. Relaxation is one of the most effective methods to promote self-esteem of patients with chronic diseases. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of relaxation on self-esteem of patients with cancer.

This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 80 patients with cancer. The samples were selected by convenience sampling method and were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, the patients implemented relaxation techniques once a day for 30 min during 60 consecutive days in addition to receiving routine care, while patients in the control group received only routine care. Before and after the intervention, the Persian version of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI) was completed.

After the interventions, significant differences were observed between groups in favor of the relaxation group in total score of CSEI and all its subscales (P = 0.0001). In the experimental group, a significant increase in total score and all subscales of CSEI was observed after the intervention (P = 0.001), whereas in the control group, a significant decrease was found in all dimensions (P = 0.001).

The relaxation seems to be potentially effective in promoting self-esteem of patients with cancer. Further studies, particularly randomized clinical trials with higher sample size and more power, are needed to confirm the obtained findings.