Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS), as one of the major causes of disability in the world, is a chronic and progressive disease of the central nervous system which can cause depression in patients. Hence, self-care methods are of special importance for MS patients. Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effect of a self-care training program based on Orem model on depression in patients with MS. Materials and methods: In the present clinical trial, 88 patients with multiple sclerosis who were a member of the MS Association of Zahedan were selected as the sample based on the convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two intervention and control groups of 44. Based on the needs of patients, 9 sessions of a training program based on Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Theory were designed and implemented. The extent to which this training program was used by patients was evaluated using a self-reporting checklist. Before and 3 months after the intervention, the depression level of patients was measured using DASS21 questionnaire. All obtained data and information were statistically analyzed using the independent t-test, paired t-test, and chi-square in SPSS-16. Results: The mean score of depression in the intervention and control groups was not significantly different before the intervention (P> 0.05). In addition, the mean anxiety scores change before and after the intervention was higher in the intervention compared to the control group (P< 0.05). Conclusion: According to the study findings, it can be stated that implementation of self-care training programs based on Orem model can reduce depression in patients with multiple sclerosis. Considering the limitations of the present study, further studies are recommended to be conducted in this regard.