Jun Liu,1– 3,* Tingwei Liu,3,4,* Haoxu Lu,2,* Xinyuan Zhao,3,5,* Shanshan Ma,2 Fudan Song,2 Nanhai Qiao,2 Wanshu Cheng,3 Xingshun Qi3 

1School of Economics and Management, Beihang University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Military Joint Teaching and Research Office, the 32684th Troop of Chinese PLA, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China; 3Military Medical Research Group, Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Gastroenterology, Liaoning Electric Center Hospital, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China; 5Section of Medical Service, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Xingshun Qi, Military Medical Research Group, Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No. 83 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110840, Liaoning Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-24-28897600, Fax +86-24-28851113, Email xingshunqi@126.com

Background and aims: Gastrointestinal symptoms are closely associated with psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression. This prospective before-after study aimed to explore whether progressive muscular relaxation training combined with music intervention, which is potentially beneficial for psychological conditions, can improve gastrointestinal symptoms.
Methods: A total of 623 recruits’ effective questionnaires before and after intervention were collected. They underwent progressive muscular relaxation training combined with music intervention for 4 weeks. They also completed the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for assessment of depression, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for assessment of anxiety, the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) for assessment of gastrointestinal symptoms, and the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS) for assessment of stool before and after interventions. Changes of psychological conditions and gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated.
Results: The SDS (P< 0.001), PHQ-9 (P< 0.001), SAS (P< 0.001), GAD-7 (P< 0.001), and GSRS (P< 0.001) scores were significantly decreased after intervention. The proportions of regurgitation (P< 0.001), abdominal pain (P< 0.001), dyspepsia (P< 0.001), and constipation (P< 0.001) evaluated by the GSRS were significantly decreased after intervention, but not diarrhea (P=0.601). The proportions of severe (P< 0.001) and mild (P< 0.001) constipation evaluated by the BSFS decreased after intervention, but those of severe (P=0.632) and mild (P< 0.001) diarrhea evaluated by the BSFS increased.
Conclusion: Short-term progressive muscular relaxation training in combination with music intervention is potentially effective for most gastrointestinal symptoms, but not for diarrhea, in recruits.

Keywords: gastrointestinal symptom, psychology, anxiety, depression, music intervention, progressive muscular relaxation training, intervention