The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the severity of fatigue in women with multiple sclerosis: a Randomized Controlled Trial study

Multiple sclerosis, as a chronic and progressive disease of central nervous system, affects different aspects of patient’s life. Considering importance of fatigue in these patients and on the other hand, increasing acceptability of complementary therapies in health care system, this study was aimed to determine the effect of group cognitive behavioral therapy on the severity of fatigue in women with multiple sclerosis that was conducted during 2014.
This study was a two-group, three-stage (before, right after and a month after the intervention) clinical trial that was conducted on 66 women with multiple sclerosis who had the inclusion criteria and referred to medical centers of Isfahan. After convenient sampling, participants were equally divided into two groups of control and intervention by random allocation. The intervention group received eight 90-minute group sessions (a session per week) for cognitive behavioral therapy. Control group along with receiving the usual drug therapies, participated in 3 group sessions and expressed their feelings and experiences. Data was gathered using a questionnaire and fatigue severity scale (FSS) and was analyzed by SPSS software using independent t-test, Mann-whitney, Chi square and one-way ANOVA tests.
There was no significant difference between the mean score of severity of fatigue in both groups before the intervention (P=0.532), but this score was significantly lower in the intervention group than the control group right after the intervention and a month after the intervention (P= 0.03). Also, the results of post-hoc LSD showed that the mean score of severity of fatigue in the intervention group right after the intervention and a month after the intervention was significantly lower than before the intervention (P Considering the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on the severity of fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis, the use of this therapeutic method, as a clinically beneficial, effective, cost effective and reasonable method, is recommended.