The Effect of Progressive Relaxation Exercise on Anxiety and Quality of Life of Diabetic Patients

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important health problem all over the world, which mostly starts in middle and advanced ages and has an important place among non-communicable chronic diseases due to its high morbidity and mortality. It can affect the patient biologically, psychologically, socially and psychosexually. In addition, generalized anxiety disorder was observed in 14% of the patients and an increase in anxiety levels was observed in 40%. Meta-analyses have shown that the presence of diabetes in an individual has a 24% risk of developing depression. This increase in depression and anxiety in DM negatively affects the patient's compliance and response to treatment and the prognosis of the disease. In addition, it causes deterioration in self-care and quality of life, the risk of developing complications, morbidity, mortality and health expenditures. Progressive relaxation exercise (PGE) is the voluntary contraction and relaxation of large muscle groups in the body, and noticing the difference. The PGE technique, developed by Jacobson in 1934, is based on the idea that anxiety-provoking thoughts and events create physiological tension. Doctor Edmund Jacobson developed the PGE to raise awareness of skeletal muscle tension. Muscle tension is triggered by various negative emotions and psychosomatic diseases. With this exercise, relaxation is aimed to reduce the feeling of tension and the perceived stress level. Progressive relaxation exercises are an inexpensive method that can be easily taught by nurses, yoga instructors, clinical psychologists, and other complementary alternative medicine practitioners. PGE is performed one-on-one or as a group, in one or several sessions, with the help of a CD or sound recorder. In order to increase its effectiveness, it can be applied with musical accompaniment, visual imagery or diaphragmatic breathing. Deep relaxation can be used to prevent the tensions experienced after stressful events from harming the body; It is one of the physiological and psychological relaxation methods such as sports and sleep. It is very useful for maintaining physical and mental health. It is suggested that a deep relaxation exercise that usually lasts 25-30 minutes can provide a benefit close to the benefit of two hours of deep sleep. In the literature, it is stated that if these exercises can be performed consistently and systematically for a long time, they have positive effects on stress-based insomnia, migraine pain, diabetes and high blood pressure. When we look at the literature, it has been determined that progressive relaxation exercises have a positive effect on anxiety and quality of life in many disease groups, but it has been observed that there are not enough studies in which these exercises are applied in diabetes patients and their effects on anxiety and quality of life are examined. The research is important in that it will examine the effect of progressive relaxation exercises on anxiety and quality of life, which is essential for diabetic patients.