title: Changes in emotional distress, short term memory, and sustained attention following 6 and 12 sessions of progressive muscle relaxation training in 10-11 years old primary school children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compared the effects of 6 and 12 sessions of relaxation training on emotional distress, short-term memory, and sustained attention in primary school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 132) aged 10 and 11 years old participated in this study. All participants and their parents provided written informed consent. Participants completed the measurement instruments before and after the completion of relaxation training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nearly half (49%) of all respondents reported moderate to extremely severe stress, and 80 and 61% reported moderate to extremely severe anxiety and depression, respectively. The results of a one-way analysis of variance revealed a significant difference among the groups in mean changes in short-term memory. A greater memory increase was observed in the 12-session than in the six-session and no-training group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It can be conceived that 12-session of training should be considered when prescribing relaxation regimens as a nonspecific clinical treatment (i.e. for healthy students).
authors.affiliation: a Sports Science Unit, School of Medical Sciences , Universiti Sains Malaysia , Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150 , Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hairul Anuar
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Hashim
authors.forename: Nurul Ain
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Zainol
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001326:Autogenic Training / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: cognitive performance; emotional distress; progressive muscle relaxation; school children