Guided imagery for anxiety disorder: Therapeutic efficacy and changes in quality of life

Background: Patients with anxiety disorder were showing severity of anxiety symptoms as well as poor quality of life. Guided imagery (GI) provides immediate relaxation, and improves the severity of anxiety symptoms and the quality of life of patients with anxiety disorder. Anxiety is a basic emotion that is required as a motivation for everyday work of life. Anxiety presents a complex cognitive, affective, physiological, and behavioral response that is related to future harm (real or perceived). Aim: To study the efficacy of GI intervention on patients with anxiety disorder and their quality of life. Materials and Methods: This longitudinal, interventional study was done in a state institute of mental health, psychiatric unit on 20 patients (outpatients) with anxiety disorder, diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria of research ICD-10 DCR. Patients were assessed using a sociodemographic and clinical data sheet, Hamilton anxiety scale, and World Health Organization QOL instrument, short-form (WHOQOL-BREF), Hindi version. Results: Patients with anxiety disorder in the experimental group improved as compared with the control group significantly. The mean QOL-BREF score was also improved after intervention in the intervention group. Conclusion: GI intervention helps reduce the severity of anxiety symptoms and improve the quality of life in patients with anxiety disorder.