The Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy in Patients With Schizophrenia

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Affective Disorders Anxiety Disorders Mental Disorders Mood Disorders Psychotic Disorder Psychotic Disorders Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Age range

20 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Behavioral

intervention group: The experimental group received muscle relaxation training once a week for 3 consecutive months. The results were measured and followed up after 3 months.

Primary outcomes

Quality of life simplified Chinese versions of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire were used

Time frame: Measuring changes in quality of life from baseline to 6 months.

a 28-item questionnaire rated on a five-point Likert scale with four domains measuring: psychological health, physical health, social relationships and environment.so that higher scores refer to high QOL.

Secondary outcomes

Anxiety Scale

Time frame: measured at baseline, 3-month, and 3-month follow-up

State anxiety was assessed by the State anxiety inventory (SAI) of Spielberg (1984). The range of possible total scores is 20-80. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety.
Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)

Time frame: measured at baseline, 3-month, and 3-month follow-up

The instrument was developed by Kay et al. (1987) to assess psychopathology of schizophrenia which includes: positive, negative, general psychopathology symptoms.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Taipei Medical University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy in Patients With Schizophrenia: Randomized Controlled Trials

Important dates

Study start: 2014
Primary completion: 2015
Study completion: 2015
First posted: Sep 12, 2018
Registry last updated: Sep 12, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed