Comparison of the Effect of Schema Therapy and Mindfulness Technique on Sleep Disorders in People with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is one of the most common chronic diseases of the central nervous system, which is associated with demyelination of neurons. The disability caused by multiple sclerosis affects the efficiency and mental health of these patients. The current study was conducted with the aim of comparing the effect of schema therapy and mindfulness technique on sleep disorders of people with multiple sclerosis. Based on the purpose, the current research was of applied type.

The design of the current research was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The subjects were randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population of the study was all people with MS in Tehran. To form the experimental and control groups using the purposeful sampling method, people present in the MS Association were selected based on the pre-test score in each of the variables and randomly replaced in three groups including two experimental groups and one control group (each group of 15 people). The standard questionnaire of the Petersburg sleep quality index was used to measure the research variables. Mindfulness therapy training sessions according to the protocol of Bayer (2006), and schema therapy according to the protocol proposed by Yang et al. (2003) were conducted by the researcher in 8 consecutive weeks for the experimental groups in 8 sessions, one session each week and each session lasting 90 minutes.

The results of multivariate covariance analysis showed that the effect of schema therapy and mindfulness technique on the dimensions of sleep disorders (mental quality of sleep, delay in falling asleep, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disorders, use of sleeping pills, functional disorders ) is significant at the level (p<0.05).

Also, the results showed that there is a significant difference between the effectiveness of the two approaches of schema therapy and mindfulness technique in terms of the effect on sleep disorders of people with multiple sclerosis and mindfulness technique compared to schema therapy in people with the disease. Multiple sclerosis is more effective.