The Effectiveness of Spiritual-Based Relaxation Technique on Patients With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After Treatment in an Integrated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Diah Priyantini (Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Indonesia)
Suyatno Hadi Saputro (Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Indonesia)
Siswanto Agung Wijaya (Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Indonesia)
Daviq Ayatulloh (Fakultas Ilmu Kesehatan, Universitas Gresik)

Jurnal Keperawatan Muhammadiyah
Vol 11 No 1 (2026): JURNAL KEPERAWATAN MUHAMMADIYAH

Background: Patients who have undergone treatment in an Integrated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit may experience psychological distress after discharge, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Exposure to life-threatening cardiac events, invasive procedures, uncertainty, and the intensive care environment may contribute to persistent fear, intrusive memories, sleep disturbance, and emotional dysregulation. Spiritual-based relaxation technique, including Spiritual Emotional Freedom Technique, combines relaxation, spiritual affirmation, acceptance, and body-based stimulation to reduce emotional distress. Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a spiritual-based relaxation technique in reducing post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among patients after treatment in an Integrated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Methods: A pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest study was conducted among 30 patients who had completed treatment in an Integrated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. The intervention consisted of spiritual-based relaxation sessions delivered over three consecutive days. Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were measured before and after the intervention using a standardized PTSD symptom questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The mean age of participants was 56.4 years, and most participants were male. The mean PTSD symptom score decreased from 42.6 ± 7.8 before the intervention to 28.9 ± 8.1 after the intervention. The median PTSD score decreased from 43.0 to 29.0. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed a statistically significant reduction in PTSD symptoms after the intervention (Z = −4.62, p < .001). The mean score reduction was 13.7 points, indicating clinically meaningful improvement after spiritual-based relaxation. Conclusion: Spiritual-based relaxation technique was effective in reducing PTSD symptoms among patients after treatment in an Integrated Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. This intervention may be considered as a simple, low-cost, and holistic nursing approach to support psychological recovery after intensive cardiac care. Further studies using randomized controlled designs and larger samples are recommended.