Impact of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy on Anxiety Levels among Elderly People in Mehsana District, Gujarat

Background: Anxiety is common among elderly people and can negatively affect sleep, daily functioning, treatment adherence, and overall quality of life. Methods: A quantitative, quasi-experimental one-group pre-test—post-test design was adopted. A total of 100 elderly participants (≥60 years) were selected using non-probability convenience sampling. Results: The mean pre-test anxiety score was 12.6 ± 3.8, which decreased to 7.1 ± 3.6 in the post-test, showing a mean reduction of 5.5 points. The difference was statistically significant (paired t = 18.33, P < 0.001). Category-wise improvement was also observed, with the proportion of severe anxiety reducing from 30 to 6%, and minimal anxiety increasing from 6 to 28% after progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) therapy. PMR can be recommended as a feasible, low-cost nursing intervention for community-based geriatric mental health promotion.