Relaxation therapy can be selected as a useful intervention for reducing negative emotions in people with anxiety disorders.

PMID: 

Arch Psychiatr Nurs. 2018 Apr ;32(2):278-284. Epub 2017 Nov 21. PMID: 29579524

Abstract Title: 

Effects of Relaxation Therapy on Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Abstract: 

AIM: To explore the effect of relaxation therapy applied to people with anxiety disorders.METHODS: Systematic review with meta-analysis.RESULTS: Sixteen Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) were included for meta-analysis to determine the effect of relaxation therapy. The overall effect of relaxation therapy on symptom of anxiety was significant with Hedges' g=0.62 (95% CI: 0.42-0.81), which indicates a medium-high effect; heterogeneity was statistically significant with I=48.84. Subgroup analysis exploring the possible causes of heterogeneity found that types of comparison of TAU and CBT was significant (Q=4.20, p=0.04). The effect of relaxation therapy on symptoms of depression, phobia, and worry was significant; Hedges' g=0.44 (95% CI: 0.30-0.59), 0.40 (95% CI: 0.06-0.75), 0.54 (95% CI: 0.28-0.79), respectively.CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide evidence for the effectiveness of relaxation therapy for people with anxiety disorders. Therefore, relaxation therapy can be selected as a useful intervention for reducing negative emotions in people with anxiety disorders.

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