A randomised comparison of two ‘Stress Control’ programmes: Progressive Muscle Relaxation versus Mindfulness Body Scan

This research study explores the relationship between treatment outcome and intervention type, by comparing two large group cognitive behavioural therapy based stress management programmes; ‘Stress Control with Progressive Muscle Relaxation’ versus ‘Stress Control with Mindfulness Body Scan’. The experiment was conducted in a rural Irish community setting, inviting participation from the general public (n = 86). All participants attended the standard six-week Stress Control intervention. Participants in Group A received Stress Control augmented with a 15-min Progressive Muscle Relaxation audio recording for home use between classes, while participants in Group B received Stress Control augmented with a 15-min Mindfulness Body Scan audio recording for home use between classes. All participants completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Questionnaire (DASS 21) at pre-intervention, post-intervention and at three-month follow-up. Participants in both groups were also asked to complete weekly skill practice questionnaires to assess adherence to treatment. Participants in both groups made significant improvement, over time, on measures of psychological well-being, stress and anxiety. Only participants in the ‘Stress Control with Mindfulness Body Scan’ intervention group demonstrated significant improvement in levels of depression. The data suggests that when treatment approaches are specifically tailored to target specific symptoms, the results lead to a greater degree of intervention effectiveness. Future research implications in view of the findings are considered.