The Effectiveness of Group Spiritual Therapy on Anxiety and Coping Strategies in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Health Psychology, UAE Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

2 Department of Clinical Psychology, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran

3 Department of Psychology, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes, as a chronic disease, can affect not only the physical aspect but also the psychological health of patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of group spiritual therapy on anxiety and coping strategies in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up design. The statistical sample included 37 patients with type 2 diabetes who visited healthcare centers in Tehran in 2023. They were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two groups: experimental (N=18) and control (N=19). The research instruments included the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations.
Results: The results of repeated measures analysis of variance showed that spiritual therapy significantly reduced anxiety (F=5.06, P= 0.03) in patients with diabetes, and the therapeutic effect lasted for up to three months after the intervention. However, this therapy did not have a significant impact on task-oriented coping (F=0.36, P= 0.55), emotion-oriented coping (F=1.23, P= 0.28) and avoidance-oriented coping (F=0.11, P= 0.73).
Conclusion: The findings indicate the limited effect of spiritual therapy in reducing the psychological stress of patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it is recommended that other psychological therapies be prioritized to reduce the psychological stress of these patients.

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Journal of Clinical Psychology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 19 May 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 21 August 2024
  • Revise Date: 06 January 2025
  • Accept Date: 04 February 2025

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