The effectiveness of self-determination skills training on moral distress and resilience of primary caregivers of chronic neurological and psychiatric patients

The self-determination approach considers human beings as positive beings who potentially have the capacity for growth and development. In the present study, the effectiveness of self-determination skills training on moral distress and resilience of the main caregivers of chronic neuropsychiatric patients was investigated.

The current study is a semi-experimental one in 2022, in which 40 primary caregivers were selected from the community of primary caregivers of chronic neurological and psychiatric patients in Borujen city in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province using available sampling method. Research tools included moral distress and resilience questionnaires. Data analysis was done with the method of analysis of variance with repeated measurements using SPSS-22 software.

The results showed that self-determination skills training had a significant effect on improving the resilience of the main caregivers of chronic neuropsychiatric patients (Partial ŋ2=0.58, p=0.001, F=53.78); But teaching self-determination skills did not have a significant effect on improving the moral distress of the main caregivers of chronic neuropsychiatric patients (Partial ŋ2=0.009, p=0.10, F=0.33).

the training of self-determination skills affects the resilience of the main caregivers of chronic neuropsychiatric patients. Accordingly, in the process of acquiring self-determination skills, valuing oneself includes self-acceptance (it means admiring the strengths that have a unique quality and is often considered as a person's weakness), recognizing the rights and responsibilities and emotional, mental and physical care are learned from oneself, which increases the process of patience and tolerance of people against problems and helps them to overcome challenges and changes in life.