The Effectiveness of short-term Psychodynamic Therapy on Psychological distress and Intolerance of Uncertainty in Women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Referred to Tehran MS Association

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune, inflammatory, chronic, and progressive disease in which the immune system attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, damaging the myelin sheath and axons of these cells, resulting in a lack of proper conduction of nerve messages in the nervous system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term psychotherapy on psychological distress and intolerance of uncertainty in women with multiple sclerosis referred to the MS Society of Tehran.

The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test-control group and quarterly follow-up. The statistical population of this study was women with MS who referred to the MS Society of Tehran for counseling and treatment. Screening was performed based on related scales and 45 women with MS were selected by purposive and random sampling. Subjects were then randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental group underwent psychotherapy for 8 sessions of 50 minutes and the control group was placed on a waiting list. Data analysis using SPSS software version 27 and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed.

Short-term psychotherapy is effective on psychological helplessness and uncertainty tolerance of women with MS (P <0.05) and these results were maintained in the quarterly follow-up.

Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that short-term psychotherapy treatment improves psychological helplessness and tolerance of uncertainty in women with MS.