The effects of progressive muscle relaxation exercises on premenstrual syndrome symptoms and violence tendencies in women: a randomized controlled trial

Background: Although violence is reported in women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), preventive interventions are among the essential responsibilities of nurses. This study aimed to determine the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercises (PMRE) given to women with PMS on PMS symptoms and violent tendencies. Methods: The study was conducted experimentally with a pre-test/post-test control group between January and August 2024 in a province located in the southeastern Anatolia region of our country. The study included 106 participants, 53 experimental and 53 control, who had PMS. Participants were provided with a PMRE application for eight weeks. Data were collected through the ‘Personal Information Form, PMS Scale and Violence Tendency Scale (VTS).’ Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, independent samples t-test and one-way multivariate analysis of variance. Results: Participants in the intervention group had significantly lower mean scores on the post-test PMS scale and the VTS than participants in the control group (p < 0.05). The difference between the PMS scale's pre-test and post-test mean scores was statistically significantly lower in the experimental group (P < 0.001). The difference between the groups was statistically significant in terms of the combined dependent variables, including the pre-test and post-test change in the mean scores of the PMS scale and the VTS (F(2,103) = 158.77, P < 0.001; V = 0.245; ηp2 = 0.755). This difference explained 75.5% of the variance in the dependent variable. Conclusion: PMRE administration has a high level of efficacy in reducing PMS and violence tendencies. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials ID: NCT06208670 Dated:22.12.2023. © The Author(s) 2025.