THE EFFECT OF COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS FOR FATIGUE SEVERITY IN PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common chronic neurological diseases. Fatigue is one of the most common and curable symptoms in this disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cognitive-behavioral group intervention on the fatigue severity of patients with multiple sclerosis. The present study is a randomized clinical trial (experimental) design. The statistical population was selected from among the MS patients in Urmia who received the criteria and obtained the mean score in the questionnaires. They were selected by available sampling method. Then, they were randomly allocated into two groups of 40 intervention and control groups. The intervention group received nine sessions of one and a half hours, under the cognitive-behavioral group intervention, not held for the control group. After the intervention and one month later (twice), the two groups were tested by means of the research. Data analysis was done using SPSS software version 21,inferential and descriptive statistics. The results of this study showed that the mean of fatigue scores in the intervention group after cognitive-behavioral therapy decreased (p <0.001). Considering the positive results of cognitive-behavioral intervention in reducing fatigue in patients with MS, it is recommended that health care providers and nurses reduce their fatigue in these patients by implementing cognitive-behavioral intervention programs for patients with MS.