<![CDATA[Background: Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder often accompanied by anxiety manifested as restlessness, muscle tension, sleep disturbances, unexplained fear, and irritability. Untreated anxiety can exacerbate psychotic symptoms, reduce self-care ability, and hinder therapeutic outcomes. Objective: to determine the effect of progressive muscle relaxation therapy on reducing anxiety levels in patients with schizophrenia. Method: This quantitative study employed a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design. The population consisted of all patients with schizophrenia who were actively receiving treatment, with a sample of 16 participants selected using purposive sampling. Anxiety was measured using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (ZSAS). The study was conducted from September to October 2025. Univariate analysis described anxiety scores before and after the intervention, while bivariate analysis was performed using a paired sample t-test, as the data were normally distributed. Results: The results showed that the mean anxiety score before progressive muscle relaxation therapy was 59.0 (SD: 7.3), which decreased to 44.0 after the intervention (SD: 4.9). The paired t-test indicated a significant effect of the therapy on reducing anxiety, with a t-value of 20.0 and p < 0.001. Conclusion: Progressive muscle relaxation therapy significantly reduces anxiety in people with schizophrenia. Patients and families are encouraged to continue practicing relaxation exercises 1–2 times daily for 10–15 minutes, provide support during practice, monitor changes in anxiety, and maintain a healthy lifestyle]]>
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