ReviewPsychology research and behavior management2024
Efficacy of Progressive Muscle Relaxation in Adults for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression: A Systematic Review.
Review in Psychology research and behavior management, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Virtual Reality Interventions for Stress Reduction in the General Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Pooled it
- The effects of progressive muscle relaxation on sleep quality in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review of brief respiratory, embodiment, cognitive, and mindfulness interventions to reduce state anxiety.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Pooled it
- Effectiveness of psychological interventions in endometriosis: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Pooled it
- Lonelier people feel less empathic despite intact neural empathy responses after meditation training.Social cognitive and affective neuroscience · 2026Trial
- Assessing the effect of Loving-Kindness Meditation on pain and social well-being using a randomized controlled trial design.PloS one · 2026Trial
- The Effect of progressive muscle relaxation and physical exercises on subjective well-being and fatigue of patients receiving hemodialysis: a randomized clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Effect of progressive muscle relaxation on postoperative pain in laparoscopic living kidney donors: a randomized controlled trial.BMC surgery · 2025Trial
- Muscle relaxation enhances motor imagery capacity in people with anxiety: A randomized clinical trial.PloS one · 2025Trial
- Development of and satisfaction with a short-term outpatient preventive medical service for working informal caregivers: a study protocol of a non-randomized prospective pilot study.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2026Article
- Coping with Stress in Athletes: Psychological Strategies and Psychometric Tools for Stress and Anxiety Assessment.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- The Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on Fatigue and Depression in Patients With Hypothyroidism: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of postoperative progressive relaxation exercises on pain, anxiety, and physiological parameters after emergency abdominal surgery: a randomized controlled trial.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- The effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercises on primary dysmenorrhea, menstrual symptoms, and quality of life: a randomized controlled trial.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Article
- Prevalence of Insomnia in Healthcare Profession - PIHEP Study: A Large-Scale National Study in Vietnam.Nature and science of sleep · 2026Article
- Article
- Combined Liuzijue and mindful breathing promote greater sustained relaxation than mindful breathing alone in university students with anxiety symptoms.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Effects of brief bouts of exercise, embodied cognitive training, and their combination on social anxiety in rural left-behind children: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Digital Therapeutics and Blended Care in Major Depressive Disorder: Current Evidence and Future Directions.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The rise in the prevalence of mental health problems among adults worldwide has raised concerns, highlighting the critical need for evidence-based mental health interventions that are accessible, comprehensive, and effective. Previous research suggests that Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a promising intervention widely used to reduce mental health problems. Nevertheless, the current literature on the efficacy of PMR among adults globally is fragmented, indicating a potential gap in this research area. Hence, this paper aims to systematically compile the research evidence on the efficacy of PMR in adults for stress, anxiety, and depression. Methods: The Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from the earliest available evidence to 28th March 2023. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines were followed, and the protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework. Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools were used to assess the quality of the included studies. Results: A total of forty-six (46) publications from sixteen (16) countries covering more than 3402 adults were included in the review. The results show that PMR are effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression in adults. When PMR is combined with other interventions, the combined techniques have also consistently exhibited enhanced efficacy. Moreover, findings also indicate that the efficacy of PMR is heightened when implemented in conjunction with other interventions, surpassing its standalone efficacy. Funding and Registration: This research was supported/funded by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) (FRGS/1/2020/SS0/UTM/02/23). The review was registered on Open Science Framework (OSF) on the 7th of March 2023; DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/U2HZP.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.