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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT06671574

Emotional Intelligence and Relaxation Techniques for Mental Health and Sleep in Older Adults

This topic highlights the role of emotional intelligence and relaxation techniques in enhancing mental health for adults over 60. Emotional intelligence, which involves understanding and managing one's emotions, can improve emotional well-being in older adults facing challenges like loneliness and anxiety. Sleep disorders are common in this age group and can lead to increased mental health issues such as depression. Relaxation techniques, including meditation, yoga, and deep breathing, have been shown to reduce stress and improve sleep quality. By integrating emotional intelligence and relaxation practices into daily life, older adults can enhance their overall quality of life and mental health.

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Key information

Conditions

Older People

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Paola Romera Gasparico

Jaén, 23002, Spain

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • People aged 60 years or older.
  • Older adults with mental health problems, such as anxiety, stress, or mild depressive symptoms.
  • Participants who report difficulty falling or staying asleep, or who have some type of sleep disorder (such as insomnia or fragmented sleep).
  • People willing to participate in emotional intelligence interventions and relaxation techniques.
  • Older adults who live in a stable environment (private housing, community centers, etc.) and who have sufficient cognitive abilities to understand and follow basic instructions for relaxation techniques.

Exclusion criteria

  • People under 60 years of age.
  • Older adults with serious psychiatric disorders, such as advanced dementia, schizophrenia, or uncontrolled bipolar disorder, that could interfere with effective participation in the interventions.
  • Participants with serious physical health problems, such as unstable heart disease or advanced respiratory failure, that could be worsened by relaxation techniques or limit their participation.
  • People who are already receiving specific treatment for sleep disorders that includes medication or intensive psychotherapeutic interventions, since these could interfere with the results of the study.
  • Older adults with severe sensory limitations (such as deafness or uncorrected blindness) that prevent them from understanding or adequately performing the proposed relaxation techniques.

Treatment and study plan

Emotional intelligence and Relaxation techniques

Other

In each session, participants will engage in exercises aimed at recognizing, understanding, and regulating their emotions. These interactive activities will foster personal reflection and group discussion, helping individuals identify emotions in various situations and their impact on behavior. This approach will enhance emotional awareness and equip participants with practical tools for managing stress and anxiety. Various relaxation techniques will also be introduced. Deep breathing exercises will teach participants to calm their minds and bodies, reducing tension. Guided meditation will help them focus inward, promoting mental peace and deep relaxation. Additionally, visualization exercises will encourage imagining calming scenarios, alleviating anxiety and improving overall well-being.

Primary outcomes

  1. The Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36)

    Time frame: Up to twelve weeks

    Used extensively for assessing health-related quality of life. The results are values between 0 and 100. Optimal health is represented by scores of 100 and very poor health would equal 0.

  2. The Yesavage Geriatric Depression Scale

    Time frame: Up to twelve weeks

    Questionnaire used to screen for depression in older people. Scores from 00 to 05 indicate Normal screening, 06 to 10 Moderate Depression screening, and 11 to 15 Severe Depression screening.

  3. Anxiety

    Time frame: Up to twelve weeks

    Anxiety was assessed using the Hamilton Scale [25], an instrument designed to identify and measure anxiety symptoms, exploring the alteration of the emotional state, as well as subjective sensations of tension, restlessness or nervousness. The scale consists of 14 items covering physical, mental and behavioural symptoms related to anxiety. Of these items, 7 are aimed at assessing psychological anxiety (items 1-6 and 14), while the other 7 focus on somatic anxiety (items 7-13). Each item is scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 4, where: 0 = Absent, 1 = Mild, 2 = Moderate, 3 = Severe and 4 = Very severe. The total score of the scale ranges from 0 to 56 points, with higher values reflecting a greater intensity of anxiety symptoms.

  4. Perceived Stress

    Time frame: Up to twelve weeks

    The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a self-administered questionnaire designed to measure the level of perceived stress over the past month [28,29]. This instrument consists of 14 items that are answered using a five-point scale (0 = never, 1 = almost never, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often, 4 = very often). To calculate the total score, the responses to items 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 13 are reversed (assigning values of 0=4, 1=3, 2=2, 3=1, and 4=0) and then the scores for all items are summed. The total range varies between 0 and 56 points, with higher scores indicating a higher level of perceived stress.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Jaén

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Emotional Intelligence and Relaxation Techniques in Mental Health, Sleep Disorders, and Quality of Life in Adults Over 60 Years

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Nov 4, 2024
Registry last updated
Mar 11, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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