Benefits of relaxation techniques in the elderly: a systematic review

The goal of the Clinical Psychology study was to present the possible therapeutic effects of Relaxation Techniques in elderly people. The systematic review was conducted by two researchers who performed searches independently in the following databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, Scopus e Lilacs in June 2015 using the string: “relaxation” OR “relaxation therapy” AND “elderly people.” The initial selection resulted in 244 articles and, from the criteria for inclusion and exclusion, 11 studies were analysed for this review as of May 2017. This research found evidence of the effectiveness of Relaxation Techniques in elderly populations, especially in reducing symptoms of anxiety, related cognitive difficulties, physical symptoms, especially tension headaches and increasing immunity through the diminishment of stress.