The effect of group emotional schema therapy on self-efficacy on self-efficacy and pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of group emotional schema therapy on self-efficacy and pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The research method is semi-experimental, and the research design is pre-test, post-test, follow-up with expanded control group. The statistical population included all patients with rheumatoid arthritis referring to rheumatology clinics and rheumatology departments of Shiraz hospitals. 45 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomly assigned into 3 experimental, placebo and control groups. Sherer General Self-Efficacy Questionnaire and McGill Pain Questionnaire were completed by all three groups of participants, before the intervention of emotional Schemas group therapy on the experimental group, after intervention and 3 months later. For data analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), tukey post hoc test, Chi-square test and repeated measures analysis of variance, were used.

The results showed that emotional schemas group therapy had a significant effect on increasing self-efficacy and reducing pain (sensory, emotional, cognitive, miscellaneous and general components) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and their effects remained after 3 months follow up (p <0.05).

 According to findings it can be concluded that emotional schemas group therapy can be used as a useful intervention to increase self-efficacy and decrease pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.