Evaluating the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation in reducing the aggressive behaviors of mentally handicapped patients

This article reports the results of a study on the evaluation of the effectiveness of muscle relaxation training in reducing aggressive behavior in mentally handicapped patients (MHPs).1 A pretest and posttest study design was used. Findings showed that there was a reduction of 14.7% of aggressive behavior in the subjects after the muscle relaxation training. Muscle relaxation training appeared to be effective in reducing the frequency of some aggressive behaviors. The strengths and limitations of using muscle relaxation training in reducing aggressive behaviors are discussed.1Mentally handicapped would be synonymous with mental retardation in the United States.