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

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Happiness; Education; Mental Health; Thalassemia; Iran.