The effect of group training implemented on hemodialysis patients for their stress management, psychosocial adjustment and self-care strength

Purpose: The current study was made with the objective of determining the effect of group training implemented on hemodialysis patients for their stress management, psychosocial adjustment and self-care strength.Method and Material: The single group pre-experiment model with pre-test – post-test was used. The participants were selected from a group of 100 patients who were undergoing treatment in 2011, at the Hemodialysis Units of two state hospitals in North Cyprus. The sampling composed of 90 patients who met the screening criteria and fully consented to take part in the study conducted between January 2011 and June 2011. The researcher collected data before training and 3 months after training by using the Patient Sociodemographic Characteristics Form, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self-Report, Self-care Strength Evaluation Scale and the Hemodialysis Stressor Scale.Results: It was observed that as the stressors increased in hemodialysis patients, the self-care strength and adjustment to illness decreased. Additionally, it was also found that as the self-care strength increased the adjustments to illness also increased. Furthermore, it was determined that the stressors of female patients were higher compared to male patients. The adjustment of patients working and those receiving treatment at Institution 2 were found to be lower.Conclusions: It was concluded that there was a decrease in the stressors perceived by hemodialysis patients who had undergone the training program. Moreover, these patients also evidenced an increase in the adjustment to illness and in self-care strength after the training program had been implemented.