The Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Quality of Life and Resilience in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis
Keywords:
MS, resilience, quality of life, compassion-focused therapyAbstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on quality of life and resilience in individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test-post-test control group design. A total of 30 MS patients aged 20 to 40 years were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group (15 participants in each). The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of compassion-focused therapy (based on Gilbert's 2007 model), while the control group received no intervention. Data collection tools included the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (1998) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (2003). Data analysis was conducted using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with SPSS version 26.
Findings: The results of the MANCOVA indicated a statistically significant difference in the post-test scores of both quality of life and resilience between the experimental and control groups (P<0.01). Participants in the experimental group showed significant improvements in both variables following the intervention.
Conclusion: Compassion-focused therapy proved effective in enhancing quality of life and resilience among individuals with MS. As an emotion-based therapeutic approach, it may play a valuable role in the psychological rehabilitation of patients with chronic neurological conditions.
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