ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Soliemanian   A.A. (1)
Jajarmi   M. (*)
Falahati   M. (2)






(*) Psychology Department, School of Humanities, Bojnord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran
(1) Counseling & Psychology Department, Humanities Faculty, University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran
(2) Psychology Department, School of Humanities, Bojnord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bojnord, Iran

Correspondence

Address: Group Psychology, Board of Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University Bojnord Branch, University Avenue, Bojnord, Iran
Phone: +985832296982
Fax: +985832296977
mahmoud.jajarmi@gmail.com

Article History

Received:  June  21, 2015
Accepted:  October 6, 2015
ePublished:  November 21, 2015

BRIEF TEXT


… [1-37] Family environment has been considered main factor acting in the process of the schizophrenia disorders. Such attentions lead to psycho-sociological interventions concentrated on the family as a unit [38]. Based on different studies, the psychological and physical health level of the spouses of the veterans is low [3, 39-42].

Family interventions can enhance psychological welfare of the patient, as well as her communication with the relatives [36]. As an intervention, a combination of education about the disease, intervention, and problem-solving skills can improve information, self-efficacy, and satisfaction in the treatment in the patients. In addition, family interventions can improve psychological welfare of the family members [37].

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of life skills training on the improvement of quality of life in the spouses of the veterans with mood disorders.

This is a pretest-posttest planned quasi-experimental study with a control group.

The spouses of the veterans who were diagnosed with mood disorders by the experts of Sadr Hospital, Tehran, Iran, were studied in 2013.

The samples were selected via available sampling method. 50 subjects were divided into control and experimental groups (n=25 per group).

Data was collected using a researcher-made demographic questionnaire and the short form of World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The 26-question form assesses physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health [43]. The scoring is based on a five-point scale as “too dissatisfied”, “dissatisfied”, “no idea”, “satisfied”, “very satisfied” scored by 1 to 5 scores, respectively. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire is confirmed to assess the quality of life [44]. The samples having been selected, WHOQOL-BREF was completed in the groups. There were two 2-hour training sessions to understand the mood disorders including the effective factors producing the psychological disorders, introducing the mood disorders, defining the disease, understanding the causes, the symptoms, types of process and prognosis, way to communicate with the psychiatric patient, and introducing the importance of the medication and non-medication treatments. Then, the life skills including improvement the self-awareness, effective communication, stress-coping management, and anger management were trained in eight 2-hour sessions (1 session a week). The training program included ten 120-minute sessions in three parts including theoretical training, group discussion on the training content, and exercises on the subject at the end of each session. After 2.5 months and at the end of the sessions, the quality of life questionnaire was completed again in the groups (Table 1). Data was analyzed in SPSS 18 software using covariance analysis. … [45]

Mean ages of experimental and control groups were 44.00±2.38 and 47.00±2.65 years, respectively (Table 2). There were significant differences in the mean scores of the groups in the quality of life and the sub-scales of psychiatric health, social relationships health, and physical health at the posttest stage controlling the effects of the pretest. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the environmental health sub-scale (Table 3).

There was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in the quality of life. The finding is consistent with the findings of other studies [16, 20, 31]. Family trainings, conducted among the bipolar patients and their families [46], positively affect the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Practical training of the life skills can enhance the level of social health via changes in the behaviors of the individuals in the society [15]. There was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in the psychiatric health, physical health, and social relationships. The findings in the psychiatric health sub-scale are consistent some studies [26-28, 32]. The findings in the physical health sub-scale are consistent with some studies [29-31] showing significant improvements in the symptoms of the disease and communication, as well as a reduction in the relapse, in experimental group than control group. Such interventions might be useful for all families [47], empowering every person to cope effectively with the situations and enhance physical and psychiatric health via positive and adapted behaviors [48]. The findings in the social relationships health sub-scale are consistent with other studies [33-37]. Based on the findings in the environmental health sub-scale, there was no significant difference in the level of environmental health of the spouses of the veterans with mood disorders between the groups. There is no study on the effects of training the life skills on the enhancement of the environmental health. … [49]

The training method should be used to enhance the psychiatric and physical health, as well as social relationships, by the training planners and the advisors.

Lack of possibility to identify and control the effective factors outside the experimental situations was one of the limitations for the study.

Training the life skills considerably enhance the quality of life of the spouses of the veterans with mood disorders.

Staffs of Sadr Hospital, Tehran Peace Museum, and Cultural Research Bureau of Cultural Research and Communication Deputy of Martyrs and Veterans Foundation are appreciated.

There was no conflict.

The study was confirmed by Scientific Committee of Cultural Research Bureau of Cultural Research Deputy of Martyrs and Veterans Foundation.

The study was founded by the authors and Tehran Peace Museum.

TABLES and CHARTS

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