Am J Psychiatry 1975; 132:598-601
Copyright © 1975 by American Psychiatric Association
A comparison of biofeedback-mediated relaxation and group therapy in the treatment of chronic anxiety
RE Townsend, JF House and D Addario
The authors compared treatment of chronic anxiety with biofeedback-
mediated electromyographic (EMG) relaxation to treatment with group
psychotherapy in a control group. Feedback patients were given two weeks of
EMG relaxation training followed by two weeks of self- practice.
Significant decreases were found in the feedback group in electromyogram
levels, mood distrubance, trait anxiety, and (to a lesser extent) state
anxiety; no such decreases occurred in the control group. The authors
suggest that EMG feedback can be an important adjunct therapy for chronic
anxiety.
