The Effectiveness of Positive Psychotherapy Techniques Training on Tolerance of Ambiguity and Quality of Life in Mothers of Children with Leukemia
Keywords:
Positive psychotherapy, tolerance of ambiguity, quality of life, mothers, childhood leukemia, caregiver well-beingAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy techniques training on tolerance of ambiguity and quality of life in mothers of children with leukemia. The research adopted an applied, quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group structure. The statistical population included all mothers of children diagnosed with leukemia who visited Mahak Hospital in 2024. Thirty participants were selected using simple random sampling and were equally assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. Inclusion criteria required that mothers be the primary caregivers of children aged 7 to 15 years, with at least three months since diagnosis. The experimental group received six sessions of positive psychotherapy techniques based on strengths identification, gratitude, storytelling, and constructive responding, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Multiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance Scale-II (MSTAT-II) and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Analysis was conducted using ANCOVA in SPSS-26 after confirming assumptions of normality, homogeneity of variances, and equality of covariance matrices. Results indicated a significant main effect of group on both dependent variables after controlling for pretest scores. For tolerance of ambiguity, the ANCOVA revealed F(1, 27) = 72.46, p < .001, η² = .72, indicating that the intervention explained 72% of the variance in posttest scores. For quality of life, results showed F(1, 27) = 88.34, p < .001, η² = .76, demonstrating that the intervention accounted for 76% of the variance in posttest outcomes. These findings confirm the effectiveness of positive psychotherapy in enhancing both tolerance of ambiguity and quality of life. The study concludes that positive psychotherapy techniques significantly improve psychological adaptability and well-being in mothers of children with leukemia. Integrating this approach into caregiver support programs may provide effective, strengths-based interventions to promote resilience and quality of life in high-stress caregiving contexts.
Downloads
References
1. Yacoub Ae, El-attar NM, Mahmoud D. Parental Stress and Quality of Life Among Parents of Children With Leukemia. Sohag Journal of Nursing Science. 2023;2(2):22-32. doi: 10.21608/sjns.2023.181561.1008.
2. Poorcheraghi H, Hekmatpou D, Mehrabi F. The Quality of Life of Patients With Different Leukemia Types. Journal of Client-Centered Nursing Care. 2019;5(2):97-104. doi: 10.32598/jccnc.5.2.97.
3. Rashid T. Positive psychotherapy: Springer International Publishing; 2020. 1-8 p.
4. Ryff CD, Singer B. Psychological Well-Being: Meaning, Measurement, and Implications for Psychotherapy Research. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2010;65(1):14-23. doi: 10.1159/000289026.
5. Thole Hilko H, Nexhmedin, Morina. Efficacy of positive psychotherapy in reducing negative and enhancing positive psychological outcomes: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open. 2021;11(9):e046017. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046017.
6. Teymourizadeh R, Alipour A, Elmi Manesh N, editors. The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on post-traumatic growth and hope for life in cancer patients. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Psychology, Educational Sciences, and Social Studies; 2020; Hamedan.
7. Nazemi M, Shah Nazari M, Ranjbaripour T, Moshayekh M, Yousefi Kashi AS. Effectiveness of Positive Psychotherapy and Psychodrama on Resilience in Breast Cancer Patients. Mashhad University of Medical Sciences Journal. 2023;66(4).
8. Ochoa C, Casellas-Grau A, Vives J, Font A, Borràs JM. Positive psychotherapy for distressed cancer survivors: Posttraumatic growth facilitation reduces posttraumatic stress. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology. 2017;17(1):28-37. doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2016.09.002.
9. El-Jawahri A, Luskin MR, Greer JA, Traeger L, Lavoie M, Vaughn DM, et al. Psychological mobile app for patients with acute myeloid leukemia: A pilot randomized clinical trial. Cancer. 2023;129(7):1075-84.
10. Razavian F-S, Imani S, nourbakhsh smk. Effectiveness of mental toughness on distress tolerance and mental vitality in parents of children with leukemia. Applied Psychology. 2021;15(3):422-03. doi: 10.52547/apsy.2021.222302.1062.
11. Mohamadi Nia N, Nasehi A. Prediction of health anxiety based on non-tolerance of uncertainty: mediating role of cognitive flexibility and cyberchondria in women with breast cancer. Quarterly of Breast Illness. 2023;16(3). doi: 10.30699/ijbd.16.3.65.
12. Vahedi S, Moheb N. The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on quality of life in women affected by marital infidelity. Community Health. 2020;14(1):32-40.
13. Sabzi Arablou S, Abdolali Zadeh Y, editors. The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on quality of life, psychological well-being, and feelings of aging in individuals with panic disorder. Ninth National Conference on New Studies and Research in Educational Sciences, Psychology, and Counseling; 2023; Tehran.
14. Brownell T, Jakaite Z, Larkin C, Pesola F, Riches S, Schrank B, et al. Evaluation of a positive psychotherapy group intervention for people with psychosis: pilot randomised controlled trial. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences. 2016;25(3):235-46. Epub 2015/02/20. doi: 10.1017/S2045796015000141.
15. Douki HE, Elyasi F, Hasanzadeh R. Effectiveness of positive thinking training on anxiety, depression and quality of life of mothers of children with leukemia. Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences. 2019;6(1):21.
16. Karimi R, Mirzaeian B, Abbasi G. The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on hope for life and psychological well-being of women with breast cancer. Quarterly Journal of Applied Family Therapy. 2022;3(5):35-54. doi: 10.61838/kman.aftj.3.5.4.
17. Heydari M, Nouri M, Niaei AM. The Effectiveness of Group Positive Psychotherapy on Psychological Well-being and Hope of Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy. Journal of Social Behavior and Community Health. 2023. doi: 10.18502/jsbch.v7i1.12798.
18. Pourfaraj Emran M, Rezazadeh H. The effectiveness of positive psychotherapy on happiness and life expectancy in cancer patients. Counseling and Psychotherapy Culture Quarterly. 2018;9(33):119-36.
19. KhodaBakhsh R, Khosravi Z, Shahangian S. The impact of positive psychotherapy on depressive symptoms and resilience capacities in cancer patients. Journal of Positive Psychology Research. 2015;1(1):35-50.
20. Khodabakhash R, Khosravi Z, Shahangian S. Effect of Positive Psychotherapy in Depression Symptoms and Character Strengths in Cancer Affected Patients. Positive Psychology Research. 2015;1(1):35-50.
21. Mohammadi R, Zebardast A, Rezaei S. The Effectiveness Of Existential Psychotherapy On Psychological Capital And Affective Control In Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy. IJPN. 2022;10(5):82-95. doi: 10.22034/IJPN.10.5.7.
22. Mahdavi A, Mosavimoghadam SR, Madani Y, Aghaei M, Abedin M. Effect of Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy on Emotional Expressiveness and Defense Mechanisms of Women With Breast Cancer. Archives of Breast Cancer. 2019:35-41. doi: 10.32768/abc.20196135-41.
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Roshanak Mehrabi (Author); Saeed Jahanian
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
