Evaluation of the effects of psychotherapy on anxiety among mothers of children with leukemia.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Children with leukemia and their families face a long period of medical treatment and uncertainty about the future. These families may suffer from short- and long-term emotional problems. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of supportive psychotherapy on the anxiety of mothers whose children suffer from leukemia. MATERIALS & METHODS: The current research were performed on mothers who had a child with leukemia hospitalized in Mofid Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran. They were randomly selected. The research method was a quasi-experimental study with pretest/posttest design. The pretest Kettles' anxiety questionnaire was given to all the mothers and after seven sessions of supportive psychotherapy, the posttest was performed and the grades were compared. RESULTS: Ten mothers finished all seven therapeutic sessions. There was a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest mean scores, confirming the mothers' reduced anxiety level. CONCLUSION: Finding effective and newer approaches to improve the well-being of parents with a sick child is an important challenge of today's medical researches. Based on our findings, it is possible to reduce the anxiety in mothers of children with leukemia through supportive psychiatric therapies. KEYWORDS Leukemia; Mothers; Anxiety; Psychology; Child.