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Volume 13, Issue 3 (12-2023)
cmja 2023, 13(3): 21-29 |
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Farzan Azar F, Mehrabi F. The Effect of Reality Therapy Counseling on the Psychological Well-Being of Infertile Women. cmja 2023; 13 (3) :21-29
URL: http://cmja.arakmu.ac.ir/article-1-933-en.html
URL: http://cmja.arakmu.ac.ir/article-1-933-en.html
1- Assistant Professor of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran , farzanazar@yahoo.com
2- . Instructor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medical School, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
2- . Instructor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medical School, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
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INTRODUCTION
About 48 million or 10% of couples worldwide suffer from infertility. Infertility is not a disease, but it can affect all aspects of people's lives and cause psycho-emotional disorders or various consequences such as confusion, despair, depression, anxiety, guilt, and feelings of worthlessness in life. Although according to statistics, women and men are equally involved in infertility. But the well-being and psychological health of infertile women are more affected by infertility than men. Because in some cultures, "motherhood" is often the only way for a woman to raise her position in the family and society. Although many drug treatment methods are still used to control the symptoms of psychological disorders and to improve well-being, nowadays, due to the effects of using chemical drugs, the use of non-pharmacological complementary methods, and especially counseling methods psychological sciences have a special place in the world and Iran. One of the most widely used and innovative psychological methods in improving psychological symptoms is the method based on the theory of choice and control based on reality therapy. The main goal of the reality therapy approach is to help people to be aware of their needs, monitor their behavior and make appropriate choices. This study investigated the effect of reality therapy counseling on the psychological well-being of infertile women.
METHODS
The present study is an interventional study with a pre-and post-test method, to investigate the effect of counseling based on reality therapy on the psychological well-being of infertile women referring to the Infertility Center of the University of Arak. With sampling in the first stage. After obtaining informed written consent, sampling was randomly assigned in the second step. After obtaining permission from the Research Council and the Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences, coordinating with the Arak University Jihad Center and informing them, with available sampling, at first the translated and shortened Reef questionnaire was administered to 95 infertile women who volunteered to participate in the research and Entry criteria were given. Then, 40 participants who scored less than 54 on the questionnaire were randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups by lottery method. There was no intervention for the control group, but to comply with the ethics of the research, a 2-hour meeting was held for the control group after the end of the research. 8 weeks later, after the end of the last counseling session, the abbreviated Reef questionnaire was again presented at the Arak University Jihad Center by the first questioner to the two control and intervention groups and was completed by them. After collecting the data, to comply with ethics in the research, a 2-hour meeting was held for the control group. During the study, one of the infertile women in the control group was pregnant and withdrew from the study, and one person from the control group was withdrawn from the intervention due to not completing the homework. In this study, one person provided the questionnaire and conducted counseling, and another person analyzed the data. The data analyst was not aware of the group assignment. Data were analyzed by chi-square, independent t, and paired t-tests in Spss software version 25.
RESULTS
Based on the results, the average age of women participating in the study was 26.9 ± 4.9 years. Using the chi-square test, it was determined that there is no significant difference in the level of education and the employment status of the couples as well as, the housing status in the two groups (Ƥ<0.05). Also, the independent t-test did not show a significant difference in the age of the couples, the age and length of marriage, and the income of the two groups (Ƥ<0.05). The results using the paired t-test showed that the average psychological well-being score of the intervention group (from 48.17±7.48 to 63.97±5.31) compared to the control group (from 48.26±6.96 to 85.85) 47.18±6), had a significant increase after the intervention (P=0.0001). By using the paired t-test, it was determined that all components of psychological well-being, including independence, mastery of the environment, personal growth, positive relationship with others, purposefulness, and self-acceptance, also significantly increased in the intervention group compared to the control group after the intervention. (P=0.0001). In the control group, there was no significant difference in the change of the total well-being and psychological score and its components before and after the test (Ƥ<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Infertility can be accompanied by many psychological problems, especially in infertile women. The use of psychological treatment methods may have a significant effect on the improvement of these symptoms. Based on the results of the studies, reality therapy counseling, based on the theory of choice and control, can be considered one of the common therapeutic interventions in the way of describing human beings and determining behavioral rules and how to achieve satisfaction, happiness, and success. The results of this study also showed that participating in counseling sessions based on the reality therapy method can improve the average well-being and psychological score and its components in infertile women participating in this research. Considering the effect of infertility on the psychological state of infertile women and according to a finding of this research, the use of reality therapy counseling as one of the new methods in the field of psychotherapy and how to achieve satisfaction and happiness can improve the psychological well-being score, infertile women, and the use of this method is recommended to solve the psychological problems of infertile women.
About 48 million or 10% of couples worldwide suffer from infertility. Infertility is not a disease, but it can affect all aspects of people's lives and cause psycho-emotional disorders or various consequences such as confusion, despair, depression, anxiety, guilt, and feelings of worthlessness in life. Although according to statistics, women and men are equally involved in infertility. But the well-being and psychological health of infertile women are more affected by infertility than men. Because in some cultures, "motherhood" is often the only way for a woman to raise her position in the family and society. Although many drug treatment methods are still used to control the symptoms of psychological disorders and to improve well-being, nowadays, due to the effects of using chemical drugs, the use of non-pharmacological complementary methods, and especially counseling methods psychological sciences have a special place in the world and Iran. One of the most widely used and innovative psychological methods in improving psychological symptoms is the method based on the theory of choice and control based on reality therapy. The main goal of the reality therapy approach is to help people to be aware of their needs, monitor their behavior and make appropriate choices. This study investigated the effect of reality therapy counseling on the psychological well-being of infertile women.
METHODS
The present study is an interventional study with a pre-and post-test method, to investigate the effect of counseling based on reality therapy on the psychological well-being of infertile women referring to the Infertility Center of the University of Arak. With sampling in the first stage. After obtaining informed written consent, sampling was randomly assigned in the second step. After obtaining permission from the Research Council and the Ethics Committee of Arak University of Medical Sciences, coordinating with the Arak University Jihad Center and informing them, with available sampling, at first the translated and shortened Reef questionnaire was administered to 95 infertile women who volunteered to participate in the research and Entry criteria were given. Then, 40 participants who scored less than 54 on the questionnaire were randomly assigned to two intervention and control groups by lottery method. There was no intervention for the control group, but to comply with the ethics of the research, a 2-hour meeting was held for the control group after the end of the research. 8 weeks later, after the end of the last counseling session, the abbreviated Reef questionnaire was again presented at the Arak University Jihad Center by the first questioner to the two control and intervention groups and was completed by them. After collecting the data, to comply with ethics in the research, a 2-hour meeting was held for the control group. During the study, one of the infertile women in the control group was pregnant and withdrew from the study, and one person from the control group was withdrawn from the intervention due to not completing the homework. In this study, one person provided the questionnaire and conducted counseling, and another person analyzed the data. The data analyst was not aware of the group assignment. Data were analyzed by chi-square, independent t, and paired t-tests in Spss software version 25.
RESULTS
Based on the results, the average age of women participating in the study was 26.9 ± 4.9 years. Using the chi-square test, it was determined that there is no significant difference in the level of education and the employment status of the couples as well as, the housing status in the two groups (Ƥ<0.05). Also, the independent t-test did not show a significant difference in the age of the couples, the age and length of marriage, and the income of the two groups (Ƥ<0.05). The results using the paired t-test showed that the average psychological well-being score of the intervention group (from 48.17±7.48 to 63.97±5.31) compared to the control group (from 48.26±6.96 to 85.85) 47.18±6), had a significant increase after the intervention (P=0.0001). By using the paired t-test, it was determined that all components of psychological well-being, including independence, mastery of the environment, personal growth, positive relationship with others, purposefulness, and self-acceptance, also significantly increased in the intervention group compared to the control group after the intervention. (P=0.0001). In the control group, there was no significant difference in the change of the total well-being and psychological score and its components before and after the test (Ƥ<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Infertility can be accompanied by many psychological problems, especially in infertile women. The use of psychological treatment methods may have a significant effect on the improvement of these symptoms. Based on the results of the studies, reality therapy counseling, based on the theory of choice and control, can be considered one of the common therapeutic interventions in the way of describing human beings and determining behavioral rules and how to achieve satisfaction, happiness, and success. The results of this study also showed that participating in counseling sessions based on the reality therapy method can improve the average well-being and psychological score and its components in infertile women participating in this research. Considering the effect of infertility on the psychological state of infertile women and according to a finding of this research, the use of reality therapy counseling as one of the new methods in the field of psychotherapy and how to achieve satisfaction and happiness can improve the psychological well-being score, infertile women, and the use of this method is recommended to solve the psychological problems of infertile women.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Nursing and Midwifery
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