The Effect of Cognitive - Behavioral Group Training Method on the Stress in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract: The main purpose of this research was to determine the effect of cognitive – behavioral group training method on the stress in patients with multiple sclerosis. The subsidiary purpose of the was to determine the effect of demographic characteristics of the subjects on the patients’ stress scores. For this purpose, patients belonging to Isfahan M.S Society were randomly selected. Among these, those who had the highest stress scores were chosen and divided into two subject groups. The experimental group receiving the cognitive– behavioral group training method in weekly sessions and control group which did not receive any intervention. Cooper’s stress signs inventory and a researcher–developed inventory determining the common stressful factors in MS patients were used. Both of these inventories were used in two stages, namely, pretest and posttest for collecting the data for both groups. The results of covariance analysis in Cooper’s inventory showed a significant reduction in the experimental group stress as compared with the control group (p<). But the results of covariance analysis did not show any significant difference in the reduction intensity of stressful factors in both groups in common stressful factors inventory. The findings also showed that demographic characteristics in both testes have not had any significant effect on the adjustment of subject's stress scores.