The Effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy on Stress in Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients

Abstract

Introduction and Methods
Tuberculosis is a contagious infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Common clinical symptoms include coughing for more than two weeks, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, and other respiratory issues. Psychological disturbances in tuberculosis patients often manifest as anxiety, depression, irritability, hallucinations, stress, and anger. Stress in these patients requires appropriate management to prevent further psychological complications. One effective intervention is Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) therapy.

This study employed a quantitative research method using a pre-experimental design with a total of 34 respondents. The research instrument utilized was the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaire, which does not require validity or reliability testing as it is a standardized tool.

Results
The results showed that, before PMR therapy, the majority of respondents (7 respondents) experienced severe stress. After receiving PMR therapy, the number of respondents in the severe stress category decreased to 1.

Conclusion and Recommendations
The Wilcoxon signed rank test results revealed a p-value of 0.02, indicating that p < 0.05, which signifies a significant effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) therapy on stress levels in pulmonary tuberculosis patients at Loekmono Hadi General Hospital, Kudus. This study recommends that nurses consider using PMR therapy as an independent nursing intervention to help manage stress in pulmonary tuberculosis patients.