Introduction: One of the common problems in patients undergoing open heart surgery is anxiety which can have undesirable consequences. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Benson relaxation on state anxiety in patients undergoing open heart surgery was performed.

Materials and Methods: This study is a clinical trial that performed on 90 patients undergoing open heart surgery in selected hospitals of AJA University Medical Science in Tehran in 2014. the studied components were selected by simple sampling method and then with random allocation assigned to two experimental and control groups. Data collection instruments included a demographic questionnaire, and the Spielberg’s state anxiety inventory. The patients were randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups. Anxiety levels in two groups the day before surgery measuring by questionnaire Spielberg’s state anxiety and then in the experimental group were trained Benson’s relaxation. In the morning of surgery, Benson’s relaxation were performed by the experimental group and then anxiety levels control and evaluation in both groups about half an hour before was sent to the operating room. Finally data were analyzed by SPSS 21 with using the descriptive and analytic statistics (Chi square test, t-test and independent t) was performed.

Results: The mean age of the sample was 55.82 with 55.6% of men and 82.2% were married. The mean score of anxiety before intervention in the experimental group was 34.35 ± 4.43 and in the control group was 35.26 ± 5.20 that after the intervention in the experimental group decreased (26.73 ± 2.74) , but in the control group increased (50.91 ± 4.85) , (P=0.001). In comparison score of anxiety two groups after the intervention indicated that these two groups were significantly different from each other (P>0.05).

Discussion and Conclusion: According to the results of this study, Benson’s relaxation significantly are reduce the level of state anxiety in patients undergoing open heart surgery and suggested that nurses use this technique as one of complementary medicine and non-medicine methods to reduce the level of anxiety in patients undergoing open heart surgery.