Effects of Breathing Therapy and Benson Relaxation Technique on Caregivers of Alzheimer's Patients

This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effects of respiratory therapy and the Benson Relaxation Technique on caregiver burden, perceived stress, and self-efficacy among caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease. The study will be conducted at the Geriatrics Outpatient Clinic of Gülhane Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, between February and May 2025. A total of 80 healthy adult caregivers aged 18 to 65 will be enrolled and randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=40) or the control group (n=40). The intervention group will participate in a structured 6-week program consisting of face-to-face group sessions with a maximum of 10 participants per group, held twice weekly. Each 30-minute session will include 10 minutes of guided respiratory therapy followed by 20 minutes of the Benson Relaxation Technique. The control group will receive routine care without any additional interventions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether the combined application of respiratory therapy and the Benson Relaxation Technique results in significant improvements in caregiver outcomes. Caregivers will be assessed using standardized measures, including the Caregiver Burden Scale for Dementia, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Assessments will be conducted at baseline (week 0), week 2, week 4, week 6 (end of intervention), and week 8 (two weeks post-intervention). The study is guided by the following hypotheses: H01: Respiratory therapy and the Benson Relaxation Technique have no effect on caregiver burden. H11: Respiratory therapy and the Benson Relaxation Technique reduce caregiver burden. H02: Respiratory therapy and the Benson Relaxation Technique have no effect on perceived stress. H12: Respiratory therapy and the Benson Relaxation Technique reduce perceived stress. H03: Respiratory therapy and the Benson Relaxation Technique have no effect on self-efficacy. H13: Respiratory thera