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Progressive muscle relaxation in persons with schizophrenia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Clinical Rehabilitation, 08/03/2012
Vancampfort D et al. – Progressive muscle relaxation might be a useful add–on treatment to reduce state anxiety and psychological distress and improve subjective well–being in persons with schizophrenia.
Methods- Randomized controlled trials were considered if they investigated progressive muscle relaxation in patients with schizophrenia.
- EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, CINAHL, PEDro and Cochrane Library were searched.
- The selection of studies, data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers.
- Three randomized controlled trials involving 146 patients met the inclusion criteria.
- Progressive muscle relaxation can acutely reduce state anxiety and psychological distress and improve subjective well-being.
- No studies investigated the evidence for progressive muscle relaxation as an add-on treatment for general psychopathology and for positive or negative symptoms.
- Also, no studies assessed the value of progressive muscle relaxation in longer-term treatment and for relapse prevention.
- There were no data to draw any conclusions about progressive muscle relaxation in comparison with other treatment modalities.
- None of the studies encountered adverse events.
- Dose-response relationships could not be determined.
