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Group-Based Relaxation Response Skills Training for Pharmacologically-Resistant Depressed and Anxious Patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2016

Roberto Truzoli ,
Cecilia Rovetta ,
Caterina Viganò ,
Paola Marianna Marinaccio ,
Gabriella Ba  and
Phil Reed
Roberto Truzoli
Affiliation:
Universita Degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Cecilia Rovetta
Affiliation:
Universita Degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Caterina Viganò
Affiliation:
Universita Degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Paola Marianna Marinaccio
Affiliation:
Universita Degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Gabriella Ba
Affiliation:
Universita Degli Studi di Milano, Italy
Phil Reed*
Affiliation:
Swansea University, UK
*
Correspondence to Phil Reed, Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK. E-mail: p.reed@swansea.ac.uk
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Abstract

Background: Drug-resistance for depression and anxiety is a major limitation in the treatment of these common disorders, and adjunct support interventions may be beneficial in the treatment of these patients. Aims: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a short-term (8 session) Relaxation Response Skills Training (RRST) programme for a population of psychiatric outpatients with anxiety and mood disorders who were unresponsive to drug treatment, and to test the feasibility of this intervention as complementary treatment for a psychiatric setting. Method: Forty patients were measured for overall psychopathological symptoms, depression, and anxiety, and were then given an 8-week course of RRST, while continuing their pharmacological treatment. Following the RRST intervention, participants were again assessed. Results: The results demonstrated reductions in overall symptoms (large effect size and reasonable clinically significant change), and also in depression and anxiety (medium effect sizes and clinically significant change). Conclusions: These results suggest that this short-term RRT offers a simple and cost-effective way to augment drug management for participants with common psychiatric disorders who are less responsive to the drug treatment.

Keywords

relaxation trainingdepressionanxietydrug resistance
Type
Brief Clinical Reports
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 45 , Issue 2 , March 2017 , pp. 193 - 197
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2016 

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