Efficacy of Progressive Muscle Relaxation for stress reduction in survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Stress experienced by survivors of a disaster can lead to chronic physical and psychological morbidity. The objective of this pilot study is to determine the efficacy of Progressive Muscle Relaxation for stress reduction in survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is a technique developed by an American physician, Edmund Jacobsen, in 1938 in which given musculature of the body is alternatively tensed & relaxed in a sequential manner.

Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group participated in two to three 20-minute sessions of PMR facilitated by the principle investigator. The control group participated in two to three 20-minute open discussion sessions regarding what subjects have done to reduce stress. Both groups were asked to fill out the validated Perceived Stress Scale.

Data was analyzed quantitatively for statistical significance both within and between experimental and control groups utilizing Analysis of Variance. The difference between the results of the experimental group receiving PMR and the control group (f ratio=1.06) were not statistically significant. The sample size and the number of longitudinal values were deemed insufficient to demonstrate significance in utilizing PMR for reducing stress.

The importance of utilizing a simple technique to reduce stress in populations surviving disasters and coping with recovery cannot be underestimated. Although the benefits of performing PMR were demonstrated more significantly by subjects' report, than by statistical analysis of Perceived Stress Scale values, we maintain that future studies of greater sample size over longer duration and with more frequent interventions are necessary.