Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Program in the Components of Quality of Life in Thalassemia Patients

Reduced quality of life is one of the daunting challenges posed to thalassemia patients. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR) on quality of life and its components in thalassemia patients.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted based on a pre-test-post-test control group design. The statistical population of the study consisted of patients with thalassemia in Behshahr who were members of the Thalassemia Association (approximately 90 people). A total of 40 thalassemia patients were selected by purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (n=20 in each group). Firstly, both groups answered Montazeri et al.'s Quality of Life Questionnaire (2006) (pre-test). Thereafter, the experimental group underwent the MBSR program by Kabat Zayn (2009) for eight sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using inferential statistics of multivariate analysis of covariance.

As a result of the MBSR program, in the post-test stage, the score of quality of life components showed a significant increase in the experimental group, as compared to that in the control group (P<0.05).

As evidenced by the results of this study, the MBSR program was effective in the quality of life and its components in thalassemia patients. Therefore, this treatment can be used to increase the quality of life in thalassemia patients.