Comparing the Effectiveness of Ellis`s Intellectual Emotional Behavioral Theory and Glaser`s Reality Therapy on Reducing Stress and Anxiety Symptoms of Hemodialysis Patients with Control Group

Introduction: Dialysis as a therapeutic method in kidney failure patients is a stressful process. This method has various psychological and social problems, which can set the ground for the appearance of mental disorders in these patients. The current study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of Ellis`s intellectual emotional behavioral theory and Glaser`s reality therapy on reducing stress and anxiety symptoms of hemodialysis patients with control group. Methodology: The current research was a quasi-experimental study, in which pre-test and post-test design having a control group were used. The statistical population of this study included all dialysis patients of Emam Reza Hospital in Kermanshah during 2018-2019, among which, 45 patients were selected purposefully and placed randomly in experimental (30 individuals) and control (15 individuals) groups. Having homogenized the subjects based on demographic characteristics (age, disease duration, disease intensity and others), they were randomly placed in three groups including an interventional group of 8 sessions regarding intellectual emotional behavioral theory, an interventional group of 8 sessions regarding reality therapy and a control group. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 22, software. Findings: The results of the current research indicated that stress and anxiety scores after the intervention had a significant difference with each other in three groups; in treating the anxiety, intellectual emotional behavioral therapy of Ellis was effective than reality therapy of Glaser (P=0.037); however, they had no differences with each other in treating stress (P>0.05). Moreover, the anxiety and stress scores after the intervention in intellectual emotional behavioral therapy of Ellis and the intervention group of Glaser`s reality therapy had a significance difference with the control group (P=0.001). Conclusion: Intellectual emotional behavioral therapy and reality therapy reduced the symptoms of anxiety and stress and were efficient and effective therapies. It is suggested that psychological therapies be used along with pharmacotherapies to improve the psychological status of hemodialysis patients.