Non-randomised trial, 2025
Does autogenic relaxation help manage mood swings in PMS?
Autogenic relaxation (focused breathing and attention techniques) improved mood in adolescent girls with PMS, with most shifting from negative to positive mood. The study lacked a control group, so we cannot be certain the improvement was due to the technique alone.
What they did
One-group pre-experimental design. 88 female adolescents at a school in Indonesia. Mood was assessed using a four-dimension mood scale before and after autogenic relaxation therapy. Results were analyzed using a statistical test for matched pairs.
What they found
Before autogenic relaxation, 61.4% of girls reported negative mood. After the intervention, 52.3% reported positive mood. This improvement was statistically significant (p<0.001).
What it means for you
Autogenic relaxation may help improve mood in girls with PMS and appears to be simple, affordable, and accessible. However, the study had no control group to compare against, was done at only one school in Indonesia, measured only mood and not full PMS symptoms, and had limited demographic scope, which limits confidence in the results.
88
female adolescents
61.4%
with negative mood before intervention
52.3%
with positive mood after intervention
About the study
- Original title
- Effectiveness of Autogenic Relaxation Therapy for Managing Mood Swings in Adolescent Girls with Premenstrual Syndrome
- Authors
- Ratna Hidayati, Laviana Nita Ludyanti, Wahyu Sri Astutik
- Journal
- Journal of Public Health Sciences
- Year
- 2025
- Study design
- Non-randomised trial
- Participants
- 88
- What was tested
- Autogenic relaxation therapy with focused attention and controlled breathing
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.56741/iistr.jphs.001083
Original abstract
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is associated with mood instability in adolescents, affecting emotional well-being and daily functioning. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as autogenic relaxation, may help manage these fluctuations. This study examined the effect of autogenic relaxation therapy on mood changes in 88 female adolescents at SMP Negeri 1 Pare, Kediri Regency, using a one-group pretest–posttest pre-experimental design. Mood was assessed with the Four Dimensions Mood Scale (FDMS) and analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. Before the intervention, most participants (61.4%) reported negative mood. After autogenic relaxation, the majority (52.3%) shifted to the positive mood category, with statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001). These results suggest that autogenic relaxation promotes emotional regulation through focused attention and controlled breathing, supporting a physiological relaxation response. Autogenic relaxation appears to be a simple, accessible, and cost-effective method for managing PMS-related mood disturbances in adolescents. However, the absence of a control group and limited demographic scope warrant caution. Future studies with controlled designs and diverse populations are recommended.
Reproduced under CC-BY-SA.
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