Progressive relaxation training in cardiac rehabilitation: effect on psychologic variables

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of progressive relaxation training as a stress management technique for cardiac patients who were participants in a cardiac exercise program. After pretesting, 18 patients received 3 weeks of relaxation training in addition to their exercise therapy; a control group of 19 patients was not taught the technique. Pretesting used two instruments to measure stress levels-the Spielberger State-Anxiety Scale and selected dimensions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. At the completion of the relaxation training program, both groups of patients were retested on stress-level measures. An analysis of covariance was used to test for the effects of the relaxation training program. The findings were: posttreatment mean anxiety scores for the treatment group were significantly lower (p less than .05) than that of the control group; and the posttest scores for the treatment group were significantly lower for the dimensions of (p less than .01) somatization and interpersonal sensitivity and (p less than .05) anxiety and depression than that of the control group. No systematic changes were induced in either the obsessive-compulsive or hostility dimension scores by the relaxation program.