The Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy in Patients With Schizophrenia

Taipei Medical University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Psychotic Disorder; Affective Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: progressive muscle relaxation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03667729

C20140205

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study applied a randomized parallel case-controlled design. The study purpose was to evaluate the effects of progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety, psychiatric symptoms and quality of life among patients with chronic schizophrenia compared with an active control.

Full description

Background: Anti-psychotic drugs are limited in their ability to improve psychiatric symptoms, quality of life, and anxiety status in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) can potentially reduce anxiety status and improve subjective welling in acute patients. It is an ideal rehabilitation intervention for patients with chronic schizophrenia. However, no study has investigated the effects of PMR on outcomes among patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Design: This study applied a randomized parallel case-controlled design.

Methods: Hospital-based randomized control trial in Taiwan. Eighty subjects with chronic schizophrenia were recruited from a psychotic ward and randomized into PMR, or control groups. Patients in the intervention group participated in progressive muscle relaxation for 12 weeks; while patients in the control group members received supportive treatment-as-usual (TAU). All participants completed anxiety, psychotic syndromes and quality of life measures at baseline, 3-month, and 3-month follow-up.

Enrollment: 75 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of Schizophrenia
• Without the risk of self-injury and violence
• Patients aged from 20-65 years old
• Had no alcohol and drug abuse
• Can use Mandarin or Taiwanese to communicate

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with another psychiatric comorbidity
• Patients with musculoskeletal problems
• patients who cannot sit last for 50 minutes
• Had received progressive muscle relaxation training within the last year
• Diagnosis of confirmed cardiovascular disease

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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75 participants in 2 patient groups

progressive muscle relaxation

Experimental group

Description:

The experimental group received PMR once a week for a total of 12 weeks. Subjects completed measures at baseline, 3-month, and 3-month follow-up.

Treatment:

Behavioral: progressive muscle relaxation

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

treatment-as-usual(TAU)