A controlled comparison of thermal biofeedback and relaxation training in the treatment of essential hypertension: III. Psychological changes accompanying treatment.

Eighty-seven medicated essential hypertensives received either thermal biofeedback (TBF) or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) training as a substitute for their second-stage antihypertensive medication. The psychological changes accompanying the treatments were obtained at pretreatment, at post-treatment and at the 3- and 6-month follow-up. Few psychological changes were noted, owing in part to the absence of psychopathological elevations at pretreatment. Short-term psychological changes were greater in patients who were withdrawn from their second-stage antihypertensive medication and then treated compared with those treated and then withdrawn from their medication. This finding may reflect the presence of antihypertensive medication side effects involving psychological factors. In general, TBF patients were more Type B at long-term follow-up compared with PMR patients, who tended toward greater Type A characteristics.