The Effectiveness of Relaxation Techniques in Anxiety Disorders

Abstract

The treatment of anxiety disorders is subject to multiple factors (biological and environmental), this creates a complex situation while trying to achieve effective treatment of anxiety disorders. This is the reason why in the current study, we decided to evaluate the effectiveness of specific relaxation techniques as an additional therapeutic measure. To determine whether there is therapeutic benefit in the application of relaxation techniques among patients undergoing Pharmacological and psychological anxiety disorder treatment in comparison with patients with anxiety disorders receiving only the latter. Firstly the process involved a pre and post intervention assessment using a psychometric equipment the Hamilton rating Scale for -HARS anxiety (HARS), the anxiety Inventory-STAI State (STAI-S) and Trait (STAI-T), which allowed us to perform an objective assessment of anxiety levels Significant reductions in post intervention levels were obtained in comparison with pre anxiety levels, in HARS (30.56 and 22.75), in STAI-S (64.93 and 46.62) and in STAI-T (83.75 and 63.56). Additionally the size effect (SE) was considerable, in the HARS (SE= 0,70), en STAI-S (SE=0.59) and STAI-T (SE =0.69). From the obtained results, we can affirm there are benefits of introducing therapeutic relaxation techniques as a complement to pharmacological / psychological treatment in patients with anxiety disorders. However more studies should be carried out to evaluate the maintenance of these results in the Long-term.