The Effectiveness of REBT Psychotherapy Approach on Reducing Cognitive Distortions in Hospitalized Tuberculosis Patients

Tuberculosis patients may suffer psychological problems like cognitive distortions, which result in incorrect processing of information. Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy (REBT) is one of the most important psychotherapy approaches in this context which focuses on empowering people. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to recognize cognitive distortions of tuberculosis patients and plan REBT for them. The study was an interventional self-controlled study. Ninety patients were allocated in two groups randomly. Both experimental and control groups completed questionnaires regarding demographic information and cognitive distortions as pre-test. REBT intervention was done just on the experimental group. The cognitive distortions questionnaire was completed by both groups after the intervention was done, again. Researcher-made demographic questionnaire and cognitive distortions questionnaire were the instruments used in this study. There were significant reductions in “all or nothing thinking” and mental filter (P≤0.05), overgeneralization, minimizing the positive, fortune telling, emotional reasoning and labeling (P≤0.01) sub scales in the post-test phase in the experimental group. Most of the cognitive distortion sub-scales were reduced significantly after executing the REBT. Performing psychotherapy for physical patients and paying simultaneous attention to their psychological and physical problems will help in holistic treatment.