فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO) report released in 2000, about 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression. The major depressive disorder (MDD) among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is one of the most common mood disorders experienced during life. MS patients who simultaneously suffer from depression have reported more severe symptoms of disease and slower adaptation to new conditions, which ultimately increase the cost of treatment. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of progressive muscle relaxation therapy (PMRT) as an adjunctive therapy for reducing level of depression for MS patients. Results: Experimental and control groups were compared before and after treatment. Analysis of covariance showed that seven levels of depression decreased in the experimental group and analysis of repeated measure showed that 49% of the changes were related to PMRT. Conclusion: According to the results, PMRT is effective in reducing depression. This therapy enables patients to reach relaxation quickly, and thus can cope with depression reactions effectively.