Abstract
The Effectiveness of Reality Therapy on Resilience and Psychological Distress in Parents of Children with Cancer
Author(s): Mostafa Khosrobeigi, Fariba Hafezi, Farah Naderi and Parvin EhteshamzadehObjective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of reality therapy on resilience and psychological distress in parents of children with cancer.
Methods: The present study was an experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The present study's statistical population included all parents of children with cancer hospitalized in Amirkabir Hospital in Arak in 2020. Sampling was done by convenience sampling, and 35 people were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups (15 people for each of the experimental and control groups and five people to eliminate the possibility of falling subjects). Parent's resilience and psychological distress were assessed in both groups through the Connor and Davidson Resilience Questionnaire and the Psychological Distress Questionnaire. The first group received eight reality therapy sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention. Then, the resilience and psychological distress of both groups were evaluated again in the post- test. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance.
Results: Findings showed that reality therapy was effective on parents' resilience and psychological distress (P<0.01). Due to this treatment's effectiveness, it is recommended to be widely used in helping parents of children with cancer.
Conclusion: The study concluded that family members' behavior towards each other has significant importance in increasing or decreasing psychological distress in parents of children with cancer. Consequently, reality therapy is essential for parents of children with cancer and should be employed extensively in medical centers to reduce stress levels among both, parents and children.