Efficacy of Progressive Muscle Relaxation in Adults for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: A Systematic Review.

Psychol Res Behav Manag

Department of Psychology, School of Human Resource Development and Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia.

Published: February 2024

Background: The rise in the prevalence of mental health problems among adults worldwide has raised concerns, highlighting the critical need for evidence-based mental health interventions that are accessible, comprehensive, and effective. Previous research suggests that Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a promising intervention widely used to reduce mental health problems. Nevertheless, the current literature on the efficacy of PMR among adults globally is fragmented, indicating a potential gap in this research area. Hence, this paper aims to systematically compile the research evidence on the efficacy of PMR in adults for stress, anxiety, and depression.

Methods: The Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from the earliest available evidence to 28th March 2023. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines were followed, and the protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools were used to assess the quality of the included studies.

Results: A total of forty-six (46) publications from sixteen (16) countries covering more than 3402 adults were included in the review. The results show that PMR are effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in adults. When PMR is combined with other interventions, the combined techniques have also consistently exhibited enhanced efficacy. Moreover, findings also indicate that the efficacy of PMR is heightened when implemented in conjunction with other interventions, surpassing its standalone efficacy.

Funding And Registration: This research was supported/funded by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) (FRGS/1/2020/SS0/UTM/02/23). The review was registered on Open Science Framework (OSF) on the 7th of March 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/U2HZP.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10844009PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S437277DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

stress anxiety
12
mental health
12
efficacy pmr
12
progressive muscle
8
muscle relaxation
8
adults stress
8
anxiety depression
8
health problems
8
pmr adults
8
march 2023
8

Similar Publications

Testing an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Platform in the Context of Traumatic Brain Injury: PRiORiTy Usability Study.

JMIR Form Res

January 2025

Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant public health issue and a leading cause of death and disability globally. Advances in clinical care have improved survival rates, leading to a growing population living with long-term effects of TBI, which can impact physical, cognitive, and emotional health. These effects often require continuous management and individualized care.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: To target psychological support to cancer patients most in need of support, screening for psychological distress has been advocated and, in some settings, also implemented. Still, no prior studies have examined the appropriate 'dosage' and whether screening for distress before cancer treatment may be sufficient or if further screenings during treatment are necessary. We examined the development in symptom trajectories for breast cancer patients with low distress before surgery and explored potential risk factors for developing burdensome symptoms at a later point in time.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recently, exposure to sounds with ultrasound (US) components has been shown to modulate brain activity. However, the effects of US on emotional states remain poorly understood. We previously demonstrated that the olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) rat depression model is suitable for examining the effects of audible sounds on emotionality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To systematically evaluate inpatient interventions to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, or stress in pregnant individuals during antepartum hospitalization.

Data Sources: Searches were conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane CENTRAL, and PsycINFO from database inception through April 2023.

Study Eligibility Criteria: Randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were eligible for inclusion if an intervention was compared to treatment as usual (TAU) to reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, or stress among pregnant individuals admitted to a hospital's antepartum unit.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Increased emotional reactivity to stress, emotional dysregulation and sleep disturbances are interdependent trans-diagnostic processes that are present in internalising disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. This study investigated which objective and subjective parameters of stress reactivity, sleep and emotional processing would predict symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents and young adults.

Methods: Participants were adolescents and young adults between the ages of 14 to 21 (N = 106, 25[24 %] male, M age = 17.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!