Evaluating the Effect of Peer Education on the Hope of Patients with Thalassaemia Major: A quasi-experimental study.

Objectives: Thalassaemia major (TM) is one of the most common chronic genetic disorders in today's world. The psychological impacts of this disease can affect patients' hope. Considering the positive role and importance of suitable educational methods, this study aimed to determine the effect of peer education on the hope of patients with TM. Methods: This quasi-experimental single-group study included patients with TM undergoing treatment at the Imam Khomeini Hospital, Zabol, Iran, between March and July 2020. A continuous sampling method was used and data collection tools included a demographic questionnaire and Snyder's Hope Scale. Patients were educated in groups by eligible peers in two sessions for 60 minutes per session. Hope was measured before (pre-test) and one month after (post-test) the educational sessions. Descriptive statistics and a paired sample student t-test were used. Results: A total of 50 participants were included in this study. The mean age of the participants was 24.5 ± 4.24 years. At the pre-test, the mean total hope score was 26.72 ± 5.82; this increased to 28.21 ± 5.11 at the post-test (P = 0.028). The mean hope score of patients in the pathway thinking dimension significantly increased after peer education (P = 0.01). Despite an increase in the score of the agency thinking dimension, this was not statistically significant (P = 0.297). Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that peer education can improve hope in patients with TM. Considering that this educational method is easy, cheap and experienced-based, it can be used in combination with other healthcare measures to improve TM patients' hope.

The Effect of Happiness Training on Psychological Well-Being in Patients with Thalassaemia Major: A quasi-experimental study.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of happiness training on the psychological well-being of thalassaemia major (TM) patients. TM is a chronic haematological disease that can have profound effects on patients' mental health and psychological well-being. Methods: This quasi-experimental study with a pre/post-test design was performed on 52 patients with TM attending the thalassaemia care centre of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Zabol city, Iran, from August to December 2020. The patients were randomly categorised into experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, happiness training was performed in eight sessions, each for 60 minutes. The control group received routine care. The data collection tool employed was the Ryff's Scale of Psychological Well-Being. Data were analysed by SPSS 16 using descriptive (mean ± standard deviation) and inferential (paired and independent t-test) statistics. Results: Regarding the psychological well-being score at the pre-test stage, there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention (74.92 ± 6.36) and control (74.57 ± 5.83) groups (P = 0.83). After the intervention, however, a statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of psychological well-being (P <0.001). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was seen one comparing the psychological well-being score between the pre- and post-intervention phases in the experimental (P = 0.01) but not control (P = 0.12) group. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that happiness training improved TM patients' psychological well-being. Therefore, this type of training can be used as an appropriate educational strategy to improve the psychological well-being in these patients.