Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Stress in Nursing Students

August 25, 2026 updated by: KTO Karatay University

Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Perceived Stress Among Nursing Students During Psychiatric Nursing Clinical Practice: A Quasi-Experimental Study

This study evaluated the effect of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) exercises on perceived stress among nursing students during psychiatric and mental health nursing clinical practice. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used. Sixty fourth-year nursing students were allocated to an intervention group (n=30) or a control group (n=30). The intervention group participated in PMR sessions once a week for five weeks, with each session lasting approximately 30-40 minutes, while the control group received no additional intervention. Perceived stress was assessed before and after the intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This quasi-experimental study was conducted with fourth-year nursing students enrolled in the Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing course at KTO Karatay University. The study used a pretest-posttest control group design. Students were allocated to intervention and control groups according to their positions on the official class attendance list; students with odd-numbered positions formed one group and those with even-numbered positions formed the other group. The intervention group was determined by a random selection from sealed envelopes labeled "odd numbers" and "even numbers." A total of 60 students participated in the study, with 30 students in each group.

Baseline data were collected using a Student Information Form and the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students. Following the pretest assessment, students in the intervention group participated in progressive muscle relaxation sessions once a week for five weeks. Each session lasted approximately 30-40 minutes and included diaphragmatic breathing and systematic tensing and relaxing of major muscle groups under the verbal guidance of the researcher. Students in the control group continued their usual routines and received no relaxation training or additional intervention during the study period.

At the end of the five-week intervention period, the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students was readministered to both groups. Pretest and posttest perceived stress scores were compared within and between groups to evaluate the effect of the progressive muscle relaxation intervention.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

60

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or older
  • Enrolled in the Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing course
  • Regular attendance in the course
  • Willing to participate regularly in progressive muscle relaxation exercises if allocated to the intervention group

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Repeating the Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing course
  • Receiving treatment for a mental health disorder
  • Having a physical condition or disability that could prevent participation in progressive muscle relaxation exercises

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Progressive Muscle Relaxation Group
Participants in this group received progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) sessions administered by the researcher once a week for five weeks. Each session lasted approximately 30-40 minutes.
Behavioral: Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Participants in the intervention group received progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) once a week for five weeks. Each session lasted approximately 30-40 minutes. During the first session, participants received brief instruction on PMR and diaphragmatic breathing. Under the researcher's verbal guidance, participants systematically tensed each major muscle group for approximately 5-7 seconds and then relaxed it. The same protocol was repeated weekly for five weeks under similar conditions.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants in the control group continued their usual routines and received no relaxation training or additional intervention during the study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Perceived Stress Level
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
Perceived stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS). The scale consists of 29 items across six subscales. Each item is rated from 0 (not stressful for me) to 4 (extremely stressful for me), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 116. Higher scores indicate higher levels of perceived stress.
Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Stress From Lack of Professional Knowledge and Skills
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
This subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS) consists of 3 items (items 2, 7, and 11). Each item is rated from 0 to 4, yielding a subscale score ranging from 0 to 12. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress related to lack of professional knowledge and skills.
Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
Stress From Taking Care of Patients
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
This subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS) consists of 8 items (items 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 19). Each item is rated from 0 to 4, yielding a subscale score ranging from 0 to 32. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress related to patient care.
Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
Stress From Assignments and Workload
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
This subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS) consists of 5 items (items 3, 9, 13, 17, and 21). Each item is rated from 0 to 4, yielding a subscale score ranging from 0 to 20. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress related to assignments and workload.
Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
Stress From Teachers and Nursing Staff
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
This subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS) consists of 6 items (items 15, 16, 18, 20, 25, and 27). Each item is rated from 0 to 4, yielding a subscale score ranging from 0 to 24. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress related to teachers and nursing staff.
Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
Stress From the Environment
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
This subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS) consists of 3 items (items 5, 23, and 26). Each item is rated from 0 to 4, yielding a subscale score ranging from 0 to 12. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress related to the clinical environment.
Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
Stress From Peers and Daily Life
Time Frame: Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention
This subscale of the Perceived Stress Scale for Nursing Students (PSSNS) consists of 4 items (items 22, 24, 28, and 29). Each item is rated from 0 to 4, yielding a subscale score ranging from 0 to 16. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress related to peers and daily life.
Baseline and immediately after the 5-week intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

KTO Karatay University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Özden Gülal, MSc, Selcuk University, Aksehir Faculty of Health Sciences

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 3, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 7, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

November 7, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

August 24, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 25, 2026

Last Verified

August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • KaratayUN

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data are not planned to be shared because no data-sharing plan was established at the time the study was conducted

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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