Therapist-assisted versus self-help relaxation treatment of chronic headaches in adolescents: a school-based intervention

Abstract

This study compared the relative efficacy of a therapist-assisted relaxation treatment programme with a self-help approach and a self-monitoring condition in the treatment of chronic headaches in adolescents within a school setting. The subjects were 46 high school students, 16-18 years of age, who were randomly assigned to the three treatment conditions. The results indicated that the self-help approach was as effective as the therapist-assisted relaxation condition in reducing the students' headache, and that these findings were maintained at a 5-month follow-up evaluation. The results suggest that the self-help relaxation procedure is a potential low-cost alternative treatment to a more traditional therapist-based intervention condition.