Effect of Logotherapy Intervention on Death Anxiety, Pain Catastrophizing, and Hope in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological condition that is often accompanied by significant emotional and psychological challenges, including profound existential concerns and maladaptive cognitive patterns related to pain and suffering. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of a logotherapy-based intervention on death anxiety, pain catastrophizing, and dispositional hope among patients with MS. Methods: This study utilized a randomized controlled trial (RCT) featuring pre- and post-intervention assessments along with a control group. The participants were patients with MS who visited the neurology outpatient clinic at Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, in ۲۰۲۵. Thirty eligible patients with MS were selected through convenience sampling and randomly divided into two groups: an intervention group (n=۱۵) and a control group (n=۱۵). Participants in the intervention group took part in ten weekly ۶۰-minute logotherapy sessions. The control group did not receive any additional psychological intervention and continued with their routine medical care during the study period. Measurements were obtained using the death anxiety scale, the pain catastrophizing scale, and the adult hope scale. Data were analyzed using MANCOVA and follow-up ANCOVA in SPSS software, version ۲۷. Results: Compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group demonstrated statistically significant reductions in death anxiety and pain catastrophizing, alongside a substantial increase in hope scores (P<۰.۰۰۱). Conclusion: Logotherapy is an effective psychological approach for improving mental health outcomes in patients with MS. It successfully reduces dysfunctional cognitive responses to pain and alleviates death-related fears while simultaneously enhancing a sense of meaning and hope in life.

کلیدواژه ها:

Logotherapy ، Death anxiety ، Pain catastrophizing ، Hope ، Multiple sclerosis (MS)