Comparison of the Effectiveness of Spirituality Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Training in Promoting Resilience of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Background: Chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) can lead to hopelessness, negative emotions and thoughts, and reduced quality of life. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of spirituality therapy and mindfulness-based training in increasing the resilience of MS patients. Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental study adopting a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population of this study included all patients referring to the MS Association of Tehran in 2018. Using a convenience sampling method, 60 patients were selected and randomly divided into three groups. Data were collected using the Connor‐Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC) and analyzed adopting repeated measure analysis of variance. Data were analyzed by SPSS 22 software. Results: The results of repeated measure analysis of variance showed that spirituality and mindfulness-based interventions exerted effect on resilience (P≥0.008). Comparing the results also revealed that spirituality therapy had more powerful effect on resilience (P≥0.001). Conclusion: It was concluded that spirituality therapy and mindfulness-based training were both effective in promoting resilience in MS patients; however, spirituality therapy was found to be more effective in increasing the MS patients’ resilience.