Investigating the effect of emotion regulation training program on Emotional self-efficacy of patients with chronic heart failure: a randomized clinical trial

Heart failure patients experience a lot of emotional and psychological distress in the course of treatment and self-care, which affects all aspects of their lives. One of the basic challenges that affects most heart failure patients is the reduction of emotional self-efficacy. The present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of the emotion regulation program on the emotional self-efficacy of patients with chronic heart failure.

In this randomized clinical trial study; 70 patients with chronic heart failure were randomly selected into two test groups (35 people) and control (35 people). In the test group, the emotion regulation program was conducted in 6 sessions. The data collection tool was based on the demographic characteristics form and the emotional self-efficacy questionnaire of Beverly et al., which was completed by the patients in three stages before the intervention, immediately and one month after the intervention. The data were analyzed by SPSS software version 22 with descriptive and inferential statistical tests. The significance level in these tests was P < 0.05. 

The results showed that the average resilience score in the test group before, immediately and one month after the intervention was 24.29 ± 12.82, 90.37 ± 6.49 and 85.63 ± 7.77, respectively. From a statistical point of view, there was a significant difference (P < 0.001), while in the control group, the average resilience score during the mentioned time was 37.97 ± 25.10, 19.54 ± 14.80, and 20.82± 20.80, respectively. It was observed that 31.20% was not statistically significant; (P<0.05), in other words, the emotion regulation program has increased the emotional self-efficacy score in the test group compared to the control group.

The emotion regulation program is effective in improving emotional self-efficacy in patients with chronic heart failure; therefore, it is suggested that this intervention be provided for patients with chronic heart failure in a practical way by nurses working in the centers.