Objective To explore the effects of PBL-based health education on self-perceived burden and psychological distress in patients with liver cirrhosis. Methods Totally 84 inpatients with liver cirrhosis were randomized into a control group and an intervention group, with 42 cases in each group. The control group was given routine health education according to the department of gastroenterology, while the intervention group additionally received PBL-based health education. The intervention effects were assessed utilizing the Self-perceived Burden Scale (SPBS) and the Psychache Scale (PAS) before the intervention and 3 months after the intervention. Results Totally 40 cases in the intervention group and 39 cases in the control group completed the study and were included in the final analysis. After the intervention, the total score and each dimension score of SPBS, and the score of PAS in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P＜0.01 for all). Conclusion Application of the PBL-based health education in patients with liver cirrhosis can effectively alleviate their self-perceived burden and psychological distress, which is conducive to improving patients′ physical and mental health.