The Efficacy of Group-Based Logotherapy on Hope of Life in HIV Patients in North of Iran

Background: Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are unable to findmeaning in their lives, and drown in crisis. Logotherapy attempts to place a barrier against psychosisand depression by focusing on tangible and meaningful goals. The present study was conducted toinvestigate the efficacy of group logotherapy on the hope of life in patients with AIDS.Methods: In the present interventional study, 50 people with eligibility criteria of minimumjunior high school education and receiving no treatment for depression were selected as thesample out of 180 HIV-infected patients attending a counseling center for behavioral diseases andpositive club in the city of Rasht. Then, 24 participants with lower hope-of-life scores wererandomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received 10sessions of group logotherapy, but the control group received no education. The hope of lifedefined as positive motivational state was determined using Schneider s Hope Scale withCronbach’s alpha of 0.81. The scale has two components of agency defined as goal-directedenergy, and pathways defined as planning to meet goals. The results from intervention and controlgroups were then compared using analysis of covariance.Results: In the intervention group, mean score for hope of life increased from 33.58 (SD = 7.92)at beginning of the study to 47.67 (SD = 7.47) after intervention, but reduced in the control groupfrom 36.67 (SD = 3.98) at beginning to 34.33(SD = 4.71) after intervention. The analysis ofcovariance showed that adjusted mean scores of hope of life, and its components including agencyand pathway in the intervention group were significantly higher compared to the control group.Conclusion: According to the results, logotherapy in HIV patients had a positive effect onincreasing hope of life.

Keywords:

HIV , Hope of life , Logotherapy , Pathway