Primavera otoño 2020 (Año LXIII Núms. 122-123)

horizontes@pucpr.edu Año LXIV Núm. 124-125 horizontes PRIMAVERA / OTOÑO 2021 PUCPR 51 performance. In another study, researchers evaluated stress management in athletes (Campos et al., 2017), including managing anxiety, self-confidence, and attention to concentration. The results showed that controlling stress improved sports performance. Among the most studied population were students. Researchers analyzed the influence of a relaxation program related to anxiety and academic performance (Aritzeta et al., 2017). They evaluated efficacy in five biofeedback sections focused on muscle relaxation, image guidance, and deep breathing. The program was effective in reducing anxiety and increasing academic performance. The effect of deep breathing on university students' anxiety has also been studied. Researchers determined the effects of breathing therapy and EFT (emotion- focused therapy) on public speaking anxiety (Dincer et al., 2020). They used scales and forms written by nursing students. Deep breathing reduced the stress and anxiety of public speaking. Students' performance before and during exams has also been studied. Ariga (2019) evaluated deep breathing to decrease nursing students' anxiety levels who practiced an OSCE (object structured clinical) examination. The exam was a timed test. It was forbidden to discuss questions and answers during the exam, which caused a high level of anxiety. Deep breathing relieved students' stress and helped them gain personal control to obtain good results. Do relaxation methods work? Cettina (2019) presented meditation as a treatment against anxiety and how the nurses used these techniques with their patients. He studied mindfulness, which focused on "full presence and attention without judgment". Meditation improved anxiety by 22% during a 20-minute session. In patients with PTSD, researchers used meditation as an effective treatment. Researchers have studied the female gender taking on different roles. Becerra Gálvez (2016) evaluated a cognitive-behavioral program to treat women's anxiety after a first biopsy. Participants received psychoeducation, passive relaxation training using video recorded and writing techniques. They evaluated blood pressure and heart rate while assessing facial expression on the EEF-A (social-emotional and character development) scale. Other conditions, such as contextual conditions, need to be considered for more accurate results. Becerra Gálvez (2016) recognized that it was not necessarily the result of techniques taught regarding patient anxiety control changes. Other factors, including environmental factors, can influence anxiety control. A female gender study evaluated controlling anxiety during giving birth in relating to mothers' breathing patterns (Boaviagem et al., 2017). Breathing patterns depended on the intensity of contractions and dilation of the cervix. The researchers concluded that breathing patterns were not effective in controlling anxiety during the birth process. The spiritual realm and deep breathing have been taken into account to control anxiety. Investigators explained the effects of deep breathing and spirituality for patients suffering from anxiety and pain after orthopedic surgery (Yusuf et al., 2020). These surgeries resulted in analgesic consumption for patients with non- pathological fracture operations. Spiritual deep breathing was recommended as a complementary treatment because it decreased pain and anxiety. Health professionals suggested relaxation techniques to their patients. To improve their performance, Soler and Araya- Véliz (2016) taught psychologists and psychiatrists to incorporate deep breathing into their practice, including the possibility that psychotherapists should include meditation during therapy sessions. Soler and Araya-Véliz