Abstract

The purpose of the study was to learn whether a series of nurse-patient interactions would result in changed psychophysiologic functioning in multiple sclerosis patients.

Psychophysiologic relationships were described in the theoretical framework. Literature, reviewed in the areas of disease description and psychotherapeutic approaches to treatment, indicated that there is a high incidence of multiple sclerosis in the United States; that symptoms often include psychological alterations; that there is an emotional component to the illness; that these patients have a need for a psychotherapeutic relationship; and that psychotherapeutic approaches may have beneficial psychophysiologic effects.

Two groups of multiple sclerosis subjects were selected. The experimental group participated in a series of nurse-patient interactions for eight one-hour sessions over a period of four weeks. The control group had no such interactions.

The instruments used for measuring change were the Activities of Daily Living evaluation guide and the Adjective Check List. The findings showed maintenance of physical status occurred in four of the five experimental subjects and four of the five control subjects in the ADL categories of Personal Care, Bed Mobility, Transfer Activities, and Ambulation. Improvement in the experimental and control groups occurred in the ACL categories of Personal Adjustment, Unfavorable Adjectives, Abasement, Intraception, Autonomy, Aggression, Change, and Counseling Readiness. The Affiliation scores did not change as anticipated in the experimental group. None of the changes was statistically significant, The magnitude of change between pre- and post- tests was small for all scales.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

L. Lucille Lewis

Second Advisor

Ruth A. Wang

Third Advisor

Ray B. Evans

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1971

Date (Title Page)

2-1971

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Multiple Sclerosis; Nurse-Patient Relations

Type

Thesis

Page Count

viii; 54

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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