Effect of Relaxation Training on Sleep, State Anxiety, and Sick Call in a Jail Population

• NCJ Number: 128271
• Journal: Journal of Prison and Jail Health Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (1990) Pages: 55-71
• Author(s): S J Lutz
• Date Published: 1990
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The A-state scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Richards Campbell Sleep Questionnaire as well as records of prison sick calls were used in a quasi-experimental research project to test several hypotheses. These hypotheses were that there would be no difference in sleep, state anxiety, or sick calls between prisoners who did and did not receive relaxation therapy.

Abstract

The sample consisted of males incarcerated at a 250-bed county jail in Illinois. Although the null hypothesis for sleep and anxiety was supported, there was enough of a trend toward increase in sleep and decrease in anxiety among inmates who had relaxation therapy to warrant further research using a larger sample, reinforced schedule of relaxation, and longer period of observation. There was also a trend, though not significant, toward fewer sick calls among the experimental group. 2 tables and 45 references (Author abstract modified)