Creative visualization as a self-care practice.

This review of controlled outcome research on Autogenic Training complements the literature by pooling narrative and quantitative approaches, by including only studies with experimental controls, by integrating the English and German literature, and by adding research findings published since the last review. Whereas previous reviews have already reported positive effects of Autogenic Training for migraine, insomnia, and test anxiety, additional supportive findings for angina pectoris, asthma, childbirth, eczema, hypertension, infertility, Raynaud's disease, and recovery from myocardial infarction are discussed here. The impact of protocol variations on outcome is described, and the specificity of Autogenic Training relative to other stress management techniques is highlighted. Quantitative findings suggested that Autogenic Training was associated with medium-sized pre- to posttreatment effects ranging from d = .43 for biological indices of change to d = .58 for psychological and behavioral indices thus matching effect sizes for other biobehavioral treatment techniques like biofeedback and muscular relaxation. Length of treatment did not affect clinical outcome. The discussion emphasizes how narrative and quantitative strategies complement one another.

Autogenic Training↗

PubMed1994

Stress management techniques: are they all equivalent, or do they have specific effects?

This article evaluates the hypothesis that various stress management techniques have specific effects. Studies comparing various techniques are reviewed, as well as previous literature reviews evaluating the effects of individual techniques. There is evidence that cognitively oriented methods have specific cognitive effects, that specific autonomic effects result from autonomically oriented methods, and that specific muscular effects are produced by muscularly oriented methods. Muscle relaxation and/or EMG biofeedback have greater muscular effects and smaller autonomic effects than finger temperature biofeedback and/or autogenic training. EMG biofeedback produces greater effects on particular muscular groups than progressive relaxation, and thermal biofeedback has greater finger temperature effects than autogenic training. Disorders with a predominant muscular component (e.g., tension headaches) are treated more effectively by muscularly oriented methods, while disorders in which autonomic dysfunction predominates (e.g., hypertension, migraine headaches) are more effectively treated by techniques with a strong autonomic component. Anxiety and phobias tend to be most effectively treated by methods with both strong cognitive and behavioral components.

Autogenic Training↗