Abstract

• The hemodialysis patients with chronic renal disease have experienced negative emotions, especially depression among with physical, social, and psychological changes. Based upon a stress-coping theory, group imago psychotherapy which can induce effective coping through self awareness and positive emotional responses is implemented to the hemodialysis patients. The effects of the imago psychotherapy in regards to comfort and depression are studied here. Group imago psychotherapy was performed on forty-three subjects(twenty subjects in the experimental group and twenty-three subjects in the control group). The results of the study were as follows. After being given group imago psychotherapy, the comfort scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F=15.33, p= .003). Moreover, after being given treatment, the depression scores of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group (F=9.14. p=.0044). Specifically, the scores on comfort in the experimental group under emotion-focused coping style were significantly higher than those of the control group (F=18.59, p= .0002). The mean difference on comfort scores in the experimental group under problem - focused coping style was higher than that of the control group. But their scores were not significant (F=0.19, p= .6729). The scores on depression in the experimental group under emotion-focused coping style were significantly lower than those of the control group (F=14.62, p= .0006). The mean difference on depression scores in the experimental group under problem - focused coping style was much lower than that of the control group. But their scores were not significant (F=0.31, p=.5947). There was a significant positive correlation between comfort and depression variables. After group imago psychotherapy the hemodialysis patients recognized positive changes in emotional reponses, self awareness, self control, ease of mind, and felt overall more relaxed. Imago psychotherapy is a nursing intervention which as this study has shown can improve to comfort. The results of this study can be applied to general nursing practices. In the view of holistic nursing, the development of the nursing practice combined with imago psychotherapy will contribute to the enlargement of the nursing field with conventional nursing practices.
• Keywords: Group imago psychotherapy; Hemodialysis; Comfort; Depression

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