Effects of progressive muscle relaxation on stress, anxiety, and depression in university students: a quasi-experimental controlled trial

Jurnal Konseling dan Pendidikan April 24, 2026 Volume 14, Number 1 6 authors

Abstract

Stress, anxiety, and depression are prevalent and co-occurring conditions among university students that significantly impair academic functioning and overall well-being. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) has theoretical and empirical support as a psychophysiological intervention targeting somatic arousal, but evidence from Indonesian university contexts examining all three outcomes simultaneously remains limited. This quasi-experimental study employed a two-group pretest–posttest design to examine the effects of a five-day PMR intervention on stress, anxiety, and depression among psychology students at a public university in West Sumatra, Indonesia. A total of 60 participants meeting inclusion criteria of high or very high DASS-42 scores were assigned to an experimental group (n = 30) or a no-intervention control group (n = 30). Outcomes were measured using the Indonesian-adapted DASS-42. Normality was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test; stress and anxiety met normality assumptions and were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests, while depression in the experimental group showed a severe normality violation at posttest (W = .882, p = .002) and was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The experimental group demonstrated statistically significant reductions in stress (M: 29.63 to 22.10, d = 0.84), anxiety (M: 25.17 to 18.37, d = 0.78), and depression (M: 22.57 to 14.47, r = .54), all p < .001, reflecting large to medium-to-large effect sizes. The control group showed non-significant changes across all outcomes. However, the absence of between-group statistical comparisons, follow-up data, and feasibility metrics limits the strength of causal and practical conclusions. Future research should employ randomized controlled designs with active comparison conditions and follow-up assessments to establish the durability and specificity of PMR effects.

Authors

  1. Nurmina Nurmina

    Universitas Negeri Padang

  2. Tsania Zelfina

  3. Yolivia Irna Aviani

    Universitas Negeri Padang

  4. Devi Rusli

    Universitas Negeri Padang

  5. Mardianto Mardianto

    Universitas Negeri Padang

  6. Afdal Afdal

    Universitas Negeri Padang

Keywords

Progressive muscle relaxationPsychological distressQuasi-experimental studyDASS-42Indonesian university Students

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