Progressive muscle relaxation for patients with chronic schizophrenia: A randomized controlled study

Purpose To evaluate progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) as an intervention for anxiety, psychotic symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Design and methods Eighty patients were recruited from a Taiwanese psychiatry ward. The intervention group received group PMR; control group received treatment-as-usual. Results The results indicated that PMR might have a short-term effect on reducing anxiety, improving psychotic syndromes, and QOL among patients with chronic schizophrenia; however, the effectiveness at the 3-month follow-up was not evident. Practice implications Both the psychiatric patients and the health institutions may be able to list PMR as a clinical routine care, and then become a mental health practice strategy for mental patients to improve the quality of mental care. Implications for nursing practice Our studies suggest that prevention of severe mental illness among patients with schizophrenia requires PMR interventions. PMR had an immediate effect, and it is possible that a shorter intervention period using this approach would also be successful.