Therapist-assisted versus self-help relaxation treatment of chronic headaches in adolescents: a school-based intervention.
This study compared the relative efficacy of a therapist-assisted relaxation treatment programme with a self-help approach and a self-monitoring condition in the treatment of chronic headaches in adolescents within a school setting. The subjects were 46 high school students, 16-18 years of age, who were randomly assigned to the three treatment conditions. The results indicated that the self-help approach was as effective as the therapist-assisted relaxation condition in reducing the students' headache, and that these findings were maintained at a 5-month follow-up evaluation. The results suggest that the self-help relaxation procedure is a potential low-cost alternative treatment to a more traditional therapist-based intervention condition.
D000293:Adolescent; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006261:Headache / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000191:economics; D012572:School Health Services; D012648:Self Care