Evaluating the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation in reducing the aggressive behaviors of mentally handicapped patients

doi:10.1016/S0883-9417(00)80007-2

Archives of Psychiatric Nursing

Volume 14, Issue 1, February 2000, Pages 39-46

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9417(00)80007-2 Get rights and content

This article reports the results of a study on the evaluation of the effectiveness of muscle relaxation training in reducing aggressive behavior in mentally handicapped patients (MHPs).¹ A pretest and posttest study design was used. Findings showed that there was a reduction of 14.7% of aggressive behavior in the subjects after the muscle relaxation training. Muscle relaxation training appeared to be effective in reducing the frequency of some aggressive behaviors. The strengths and limitations of using muscle relaxation training in reducing aggressive behaviors are discussed.

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Citation Excerpt :
The authors suggested that the elevated physiological arousal produced by, and stress associated with, high-anxiety contexts may have contributed to participants’ engagement in challenging behaviors. Relatedly, To and Chan (2000) found that progressive muscle relaxation training, intended to reduce stress and anxiety, led to reductions in the aggressive behavior of a sample of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Thus, while the findings of the current study suggest little correspondence between stress and SIB and aggression, future research that examines this relationship among a sample of individuals selected on the basis of their engagement in severe aggressive/destructive behavior may produce different outcomes.
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¹: Mentally handicapped would be synonymous with mental retardation in the United States.

View full text

Evaluating the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation in reducing the aggressive behaviors of mentally handicapped patients

Journal of Behavioural Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry

Journal of Behavioural Therapy & Experimental Psychiatry

Psychology

The practice of nursing research: Conduct, critique and utilization

Relaxation skills training: Abbreviated progressive relaxation

Relaxation: A comprehensive manual for adults, children, and children with special needs

Challenging behaviours: Analysis and intervention in people with learning disabilities

A checklist of challenging behaviour; The development of a survey instrument

Mental Handicap Research

Aggressive behaviour: Current perspectives

Progressive relaxation

Abbreviated progressive relaxation: Its use with adults who are mentally handicapped

Mental Handicap

Behavioural relaxation training: Exploration with adults who are mentally handicapped

Mental Handicap