Efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation training in reducing anxiety in patients with acute schizophrenia

Abstract

Aim and objectives. The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of progressive muscle relaxation training on anxiety in patients with acute schizophrenia. Background. Many empirical studies have found progressive muscle relaxation training beneficial in reducing the psychological effects of anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation training is also effective in reducing the distress symptoms associated with the symptomatology of schizophrenia.Design. An experimental randomised controlled trial using repeated measures. Method. The study was designed to examine the effects of progressive muscle relaxation training on patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Study participants were acute psychiatric inpatients in Taiwan. Eighteen patients were block randomised and then assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group received progressive muscle relaxation training and the control group received a placebo intervention. Results from the Beck anxiety inventory were compared between groups as a pretest before intervention, on day 11 of intervention and one week post-test after the intervention was completed. Changes in finger temperature were measured throughout the experiment. Results. The degree of anxiety improvement was significantly higher in the progressive muscle relaxation training group than in the control group after progressive muscle relaxation training intervention (p < 0AE0001) and at follow-up (p = 0AE0446; the mean BAI score fell from 16AE4 pretest to À5AE8 post-test. After adjusting for the change in patient finger temperature, the mean change in temperature was significantly different between the two patient groups. The average body temperature increased significantly after applying the progressive muscle relaxation training to patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that progressive muscle relaxation training can effectively alleviate anxiety in patients with schizophrenia. Relevance to clinical practice. Progressive muscle relaxation training is potentially an effective nursing intervention in the reduction of anxiety in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, depending on the quality of their mental status at the time of intervention. Progressive muscle relaxation training is a useful intervention as it is proven to reduce anxiety levels across a spectrum of psychiatric disorders.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation therapy in Anxiety: A Neurophysiological Study

“…Subjective Hamilton rating for anxiety score was significantly reduced at the end of JPMRT compared to pre-JPMRT. This is consistent with the finding of Hawkins [17], Conrad and Roth [3] and Chen [18].…”

Impact of Applied Progressive Deep Muscle Relaxation Training on the Level of Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Prostate Cancer Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study

“…The improvement found among pregnant women in reducing state-anxiety and traitanxiety (Bastani et al, 2005), undergraduate physical therapy on reducing cognitive and somatic anxieties (Gill DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2013.14.4.2237Muscle Relaxation Training for Anxiety and Stress in Prostate Cancer Patients et al, 2004, and among acute schizophrenia (Chen et al, 2009). Relaxation therapy also improves the state-anxiety over ten weeks among colorectal cancer patients after surgery (Cheung et al, 2003).…”

The Effect of Auditory Hallucinations Management Program on Quality of Life For Schizophrenic Inpatients, Egypt

“…This was done through stating strategies to the group, listening to their experience of auditory hallucinations and recording it on the white board. The 10-session auditory hallucination management program was developed based on an extensive literature review of strategies to manage auditory hallucinations [15][16][17][18][19][20]. The sessions of the program are as follows: Using relaxation techniques such as breathing exercise to manage auditory hallucination.…”

“… The experimental group was divided into 8 groups; 6-7 patients per each group were attending the auditory hallucinations management program. [15][16][17][18][19][20]  Sessions of auditory hallucination management training programs were conducted for a period 60-90 minutes a session, every day for a period of 8 weeks. In some instances, sessions were carried out twice per week instead of 1 session per week, because of patients' shortened length of hospitalization and the very high patients turn over.…”

“…In addition, symptom management depends on patients' acceptance of having the symptom and their cooperation in the management of voices. The auditory hallucination management outcome is the result from the utilization of the strategies [15][16][17][18][19][20].…”