ABSTRACT
Introduction & Objective: Depression is known as a disorder that results in physical disorders, increases different diseases or mortality. Group psychotherapy is used to treat and reduce depression and physical function in depressive patients effectively. Group psychotherapy requires structured and organized group process and defined goal. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of group psychotherapy on physical function of major depressive patients admitted in psychiatric wards in Hafez and Ibn-Sina hospitals.
Materials & Methods : In this quasi-experimental study, group psychotherapy effect on three aspects of physical function, limited role playing resulting from physical problems and physical pain in 65 depressed patients admitted in psychiatric wards in Hafez and Ibn-sina hospitals, affiliated to Shiraz university of medical sciences (1382) with available sampling was carried out. 35 patients were included in case group and 35 patients in control group. A 36-item life quality questionnaire and a questionnaire of demographic characteristics with 13 items were used for data collection. The researchers completed related questionnaires for case group before group psychotherapy units about 1-1.5 hours. One month after group psychotherapy termination the above questionnaires were completed for 30 patients again (5 patients excluded). For control group, the first pretest was done, then without intervention one month after discharge, post test was completed. The data were analyzed by SPSS soft ware and statistical tests.
Results: Results of this study showed that group psychotherapy was more effective on the three aspects of physical function, limited role playing resulting from physical problems and physical pain in case group than in control group and the difference was statistically meaningful (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Group psychotherapy is recommended as one of the treatments of depression for improvement of physical function, physical pain relief, which lead to reduction of depression in major depressive patients.
Noorian K, Sharif F, Ashkani H, Dehbozorgi S, Tabatabaei H. The Effect of Group Psychotherapy on Physical Function and Physical Pain of Depressive Patients Admitted in Psychiatric Wards. armaghanj 2004; 9 (1) :63-70 URL: http://armaghanj.yums.ac.ir/article-1-859-en.html