Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on depression, anxiety, and stress of primigravid women

Abstract

Background: Hormonal changes in pregnancy can alter a person's emotions and feelings. The most common mental disorders during pregnancy are anxiety and depression. Relaxation is one of the interventions that increases comfort through affecting the sympathetic system, and can probably reduce psychological tension in pregnant women. <br/>Aim: To investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation on depression, anxiety and stress of primigravid women. <br/>Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 66 primigravid women from April to September 1393(2014) in two health care centers covered by health center No-1 in the city of Mashhad. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups of progressive muscle relaxation and control. After two sessions of relaxation within two weeks, the intervention group was doing exercises at home for 4 weeks. The instrument used in this study, was Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS 21). Data were analyzed with SPSS statistical software version 11.5, using descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U and independent t-tests. <br/>Results: The mean age of subjects in this study was 25.5±4.3 years. Before the study, the two groups showed no significant differences in depression (p=0.24), anxiety (p=0.36) and stress (p=0.58); but after the intervention, depression (p=0.001), anxiety (p<0.001) and stress (p<0.001) of the pregnant women was significantly lower in the progressive muscle relaxation group than those of the control group. <br/>Conclusion: Due to the relaxation effect on reducing depression, anxiety and stress, and also lack of side effects and its easy applicability, this method can be recommended to use as an approach to reduce depression, anxiety and stress in women during pregnancy.