Massage and mental health effects

Anxiety, depression and mood

Anxiety and the impact of massage is one of the most common individual mental health conditions researched. Massage has been found to decrease the symptoms of anxiety or anxiety itself in many populations including pregnant women; cancer patients including adults and children, labouring women, individuals with generalised anxiety disorder preoperative surgical patients, intensive care unit patients, burns patients, healthy women, adults, and young adults.

It is important to note that decreases in anxiety were often significant c compared to no treatment or treatment as usual groups but not to active comparators such as relaxation therapy. Massage has also been found to decrease symptoms of depression in varied populations including pregnant women, depressed individuals and i individuals with dementia.

Again, decreases in depression were often siggnificant compared to no treatment or treatment as usual groups. Massage has been found to improve the mood of pregnant women and individuals having open-heart surgery as well as decreasing anger in pregnant populations receiving massage as well as reducing anger in individuals with generalised anxiety disorder.