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Psychophysiological effects of several stress management techniques
1Department of Nursing, College of Allied Health Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Psychological Reports
|February 1, 1993
Summary
Progressive relaxation and hypnosis effectively reduced psychophysiological stress responses in nursing students. Deep abdominal breathing also showed significant physiological benefits compared to baseline, indicating stress reduction potential.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Stress Management
- Mind-Body Interventions
Background:
- Psychophysiological stress responses are a significant concern in healthcare.
- Effective stress-reduction techniques are crucial for nursing students' well-being.
- Understanding the comparative efficacy of different relaxation methods is important.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the psychophysiological stress-reducing effects of progressive relaxation versus hypnosis.
- To evaluate deep abdominal breathing against a baseline condition.
- To control for the influence of hypnotizability on these effects.
Main Methods:
- 231 nursing students participated in two sessions.
- Session 1: Baseline and progressive relaxation.
- Session 2: Deep abdominal breathing and hypnosis, with skin temperature and pulse rate measured before and after each technique.
Main Results:
- Both progressive relaxation and hypnosis significantly increased skin temperature and decreased pulse rate.
- Deep abdominal breathing led to a significant reduction in skin temperature compared to baseline.
- Hypnotic susceptibility did not influence the psychophysiological outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Progressive relaxation and hypnosis demonstrate robust psychophysiological stress-reduction capabilities.
- Deep abdominal breathing offers a viable method for physiological stress reduction.
- Hypnotizability does not appear to be a critical factor in the effectiveness of these techniques.