Comparing the Efficacy of Training of Problem Solving Program on Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Family Members of Pulmonary Patients and Hospital Personnel

Encountering a patient in the family environment and at work place may play an important role in the incidence of psychological problems among family members and health personnel. Considering the lack of enough literature in this field, we aimed to investigate the degree of improvement in anxiety, stress, depression and problem solving styles by training them with the problem solving program. With this training the psychological problems of the hospital personnel and the family members of hospitalized patients who are involved directly in caring the patient, would decrease.  

This was an applied–experimental research. The effectiveness of training the problem solving styles on depression, anxiety, stress and problem solving styles in two groups of family members of hospitalized pulmonary patients and the hospital personnel of Masih Daneshvari Hospital, has been compared. The sampling method was accessible one. The sample group, underwent problem solving styles training as a group therapy. The instruments used were researcher made demographic questionnaire, Cassidy and Long Problem Solving Style and DASS.

Helplessness and avoidance factors of problem solving style, anxiety and stress reduced significantly in both groups after executing the problem solving styles training protocol. Depression was the only sub-scale that decreased just in the family members of the patients. After executing the problem solving style protocol, problem-solving confidence and approach style increased only in hospital personnel.

The improvement of depression, anxiety, stress and problem solving styles after the execution of problem solving training protocol in both groups of hospital personnel and patients family members, reflects the necessity of presence of specialists in mental health field for screening the mental status in all groups of patients, their family members and the hospital personnel.