title: Effects of progressive muscle relaxation on state anxiety and subjective well-being in people with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the efficacy of a single progressive muscle relaxation session compared with a control condition on state anxiety, psychological stress, fatigue and subjective well-being in patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  An acute inpatient care unit of an University Psychiatric Centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four out of 88 eligible patients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomly assigned to either a single progressive muscle relaxation session during 25 minutes or a resting control condition with the opportunity to read for an equal amount of time.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before and after the single interventions the State anxiety inventory and the Subjective exercise experiences scale were completed. Effect sizes were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only within progressive muscle relaxation, participants (n=27) showed decreased state anxiety, psychological stress and fatigue and increased subjective well-being. Between-group differences in post scores were found for state anxiety, subjective well-being and psychological stress, but not for fatigue. The effect size favouring progressive muscle relaxation was 1.26 for subjective well-being and -1.25 and -1.02 for respectively state anxiety and psychological stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Progressive muscle relaxation is highly effective in reducing acute feelings of stress and anxiety in patients with schizophrenia. A reduction in stress and state anxiety is associated with an increase in subjective well-being.
authors.affiliation: University Psychiatric Centre Catholic University Leuven, Campus Kortenberg, Kortenberg, Belgium. Davy.Vancampfort@uc-kortenberg.be
authors.forename: Davy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vancampfort
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Hert
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knapen
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maurissen
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raepsaet
authors.forename: Seppe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deckx
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Remans
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Probst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000534:rehabilitation*