The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Existential Therapy on the Demoralization Syndrome in Women with HIV

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-existential therapy on the reduction of demoralization syndrome in patients with HIV.
In single case study three women with HIV who had been referred to SabzehParvar Center in Karaj city for the medical treatment and consultation were selected by the convenience sampling method and received ten 90-minute individual sessions of cognitive-existential therapy. Participants completed Keisan Demoralization Syndrome Instrument (2004) seven times (2 times at the baseline phase, 3 times at intervention phase, and 2 times at follow-up phase). In data analyses, indexes of process changes, slope, effect size, Cohen index, and interpretation of ups and downs in charts were employed.
The results showed significant reduction on demoralization syndrome in comparison with the baseline and the most amount of reduction was observed in the final treatment session. Although the scores increased in the two follow-up sessions in comparison with the final session of therapy, they also showed a significant reduction in comparison of baseline.
Cognitive-existential therapy causes reduction of demoralization syndrome in patients with HIV and this intervention can be used in the alleviation of psychological pain in this group.