COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOR THERAPY WITH FIBROSITIS PATIENTS (ARTHRITIS).
Contributors: University of California, Los Angeles.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 349
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine whether a cognitive-behavior therapy program designed to give individuals with fibrositis a repertorie of techniques to better manage some aspects of their syndrome would cause them to experience a decrease in learned helplessness and a decrease in the pain associated with fibrositis syndrome compared to patients in a social support group and a no adjunct treatment group.

This was a quasi-experimental repeated measures design with three groups, a cognitive-behavior, a social support and a no adjunct treatment group. Then, within each group, women who volunteered to be in the study participated in the preassigned intervention.

Some support was shown for a correlation between attributional style and learned helplessness in fibrositis patients (Aim 1). There were significant correlations between each type of learned helplessness deficit and attributional style at each time period. However, each type of learned helplessness deficit was measured with more than one instrument, and the same learned helplessness instruments did not consistently correlate with the Attributional Style Questionnaire across time periods. The cognitive-behavior group did not have significant improvement in the motivational deficit, therefore, hypothesis one of Aim 2 was not supported. The cognitive-behavior group significantly improved in the learned helplessness cognitive deficit and emotional deficit, therefore, hypotheses two and three of Aim 2 respectively, were supported. The cognitive-behavior group showed a significant improvement in the pain associated with fibrositis, therefore, hypotheses four of Aim 2 was supported.

Time was a significant factor in subject responses. Concerning the motivational deficits, subjects showed less need for assistance, less difficulty with activities and less pain over the course of time. Concerning the cognitive deficit, subjects showed less learned helplessness, more daily positive events and less negative daily events. Concerning the emotional deficit subjects showed more self-esteem, self-concept and less depression and anxiety.

The group factor was somewhat significant. The no adjunct treatment group reported more need for assistance in activities of daily living, more depression and less self-esteem, then the other two groups. However, the no adjunct treatment group reported less pain.

This study yielded findings that support the learned helplessness theory. It also yielded findings that partially support the effectiveness of cognitive-behavior therapy over social support and no adjunct treatment in improving the emotional and cognitive deficits of learned helplessness. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-02, Section: B, page: 0366.

Thesis (D.N.SC.)--UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, 1994.

School code: 0031.