Comparison of the Effectiveness of Min Dfulness- Based Cognitive Therapy with Compassion- Focused Therapy on Resilience and Psychological Well- Being of Subjects with Multiple Sclerosis

As multiple sclerosis (MS) affects both the body and mind, people with MS need to be treated by both pharmacological and psychological interventions. Psychological interventions include using a variety of counseling and psychotherapy approaches, such as mindfulness- based cognitive therapy and compassion-focused therapy. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of mindfulness- based cognitive therapy and compassion-focused therapy on resilience and psychological well- being in patients with MS.

This study was semi-experimental with a pre- test, post- test control group design. This study consisted of all men with MS in Tabriz who were members of the MS Society in 2018. In total, 30 men were selected and randomly divided into three groups by a purposive sampling method. Members of both experimental groups received their treatment, respectively, in eight sessions of 1.5 hours; however, the control group did not receive any treatment.

There was no significant difference between resilience and psychological well-being scores in the treatment and control groups in the pre-test. The results showed that mindfulness- based cognitive therapy and compassion-focused therapy compared to the control group led to increased resilience & psychological well-being in MS patients in the post- test. In the follow-up phase, the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and compassion-focused therapy on resilience and psychological well-being persisted. Furthermore, the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and compassion-focused therapy on resilience and psychological well-being in the post-test and follow- up was significantly not different. 

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and compassion-focused therapy are likely to reduce anxiety, thereby better coping with the disease and increasing resilience and psychological well- being in patients with MS.