Management of Stress and Depression and Enhancement of Well-Being in Kidney Patients through Positive Therapy
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Date
2007-10-30
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Abstract
From Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 32 patients with
renal failure, who had just started dialysis, were selected by Purposive Sampling
method. There were 20 male and 12 female in the age range of 28-55 years. The
entire sample was assessed using Case Study Schedule (Hemalatha Natesan, 2003),
SI (Hemalatha Natesan and Nandini Menon, Revised, 2005), BDJ (Beck, 1971) and
WBJ (WHO, 1998) (Assessment I). Positive Therapy (Hemalatha Natesan, 2004) was
administered on the entire sample individually for 8 sessions, 4 sessions before
dialysis and 4 sessions after dialysis. They were re-assessed using the same tools soon
after 8 sessions of Positive Therapy (Assessment II). The subjects practiced Positive
Therapy using Positive Therapy Handbook (Hemalatha Natesan, 2004) and
Relaxation Therapy Cassettes (Hemalatha Natesan, 2000). After 4 months,
Assessment III was done using the same tools with Case Study Re-assessment
Schedule. Only 30 subjects were available for Assessment III as one had passed away
and one was not available after transplantation. The results oft/ic study revealed that
the mean SI score reduced from 22.56 to 18 at the end of the psychological
intervention and to 15.04 at a 4 month folloit-up, indicating both a signifIcant and
sustained reduction in stress. Though the subjects had 'Moderate to Severe'
depression in all the 3 assessments, the differences in mean BDI scores oft/ic subjects
('Assessment 1=28.26, Assessment 11=23.62 and Assessment 111=20.56) were
statistically significant, indicating ci significant icc/action in depression. The mean
WBI score ('M=9.56) indicated 'Low' well-being before the psychological intervention
and it improved to 'Moc/ercitely Low' after treatment (M11. 12) with a further
signifIcant and sustained imnprovenient (M= 14.90) in the lb/low-up.