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Review
. 2023 Feb 28;20(5):4344.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20054344.

Autogenic Training in Mental Disorders: What Can We Expect?

Dagmar Breznoscakova  1   2 , Milana Kovanicova  3 , Eva Sedlakova  4 , Maria Pallayova  5
Affiliations
Review

Autogenic Training in Mental Disorders: What Can We Expect?

Dagmar Breznoscakova et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Autogenic training (AT) is a well-established self-induced relaxation technique based on autosuggestion. From the past two decades, an increasing number of AT studies strongly suggests the practical usefulness of psychophysiological relaxation in the area of medicine. Despite this interest, to date, limited critical clinical reflection on the application and effects of AT in mental disorders exists. The present paper reviews psychophysiological, psychopathological, and clinical aspects of AT in persons with mental disorders with emphasis on implications for future research and practice. Based on a formal literature search, 29 reported studies (7 meta-analyses/systematic reviews) were identified that examined the effects and impact of AT on mental disorders. The main psychophysiological effects of AT include autonomic cardiorespiratory changes paralleled by central nervous system activity modifications and psychological outputs. Studies demonstrate consistent efficacy of AT in reducing anxiety and medium range positive effects for mild-to-moderate depression. The impact on bipolar disorders, psychotic disorders, and acute stress disorder remains unexplored. As an add-on intervention psychotherapy technique with beneficial outcome on psychophysiological functioning, AT represents a promising avenue towards expanding research findings of brain-body links beyond the current limits of the prevention and clinical management of number of mental disorders.

Keywords: autogenic training; mental disorders; relaxation therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author D.B. is the owner of Crystal Comfort, LLC, a healthcare provider specializing in psychiatry, psychotherapy, and outpatient facilities that provided the APC funding. The APC funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article or the decision to submit it for publication. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Autogenic training: combinations and procedural interaction. Adapted from Luthe 1979 [5]. SE: standard exercises.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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