Autogenic Relaxation: A Gateway to Improve Mental Health for the Elderly with Depression and Anxiety

Background: Aging presents significant challenges to healthcare, particularly in the underdiagnosis of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Non-pharmacological interventions like autogenic relaxation have been explored as potential therapeutic options for improving mental health outcomes in the elderly. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of autogenic relaxation in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety among elderly individuals and to examine its correlation with demographic and clinical variables. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test control group design was conducted with 120 elderly patients from the National Centre of Ageing in Guindy, Chennai. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which underwent autogenic relaxation training, or a control group, which received standard care. Data were collected over four weeks using the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Geriatric Anxiety Scale. Results: Post-intervention analysis revealed significant reductions in symptoms of depression (60.47%) and anxiety (41.80%) in the experimental group, whereas no such improvements were observed in the control group. Furthermore, demographic factors such as age and education level showed a significant positive correlation with the intervention outcomes. Conclusion: Autogenic relaxation is an effective, low-risk intervention for improving geriatric mental health, particularly when tailored to individual demographic characteristics. These findings suggest its potential for wider implementation in elderly care settings.