The Effect of Spiritual Counseling on Hope in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
Mohammad Afshar, Zohreh Sadat, Mohhammad Bagheri
PMID 34604400WHAT IT FOUND
Nurse-led group spiritual counseling increased hope in people with multiple sclerosis immediately after the program and a month later.
It did not test physical disability or longer-term effects.
Key findings
01Hope was significantly higher in the counseling group than the control group immediately after the program and a month later.
02The counseling group’s hope score increased over time, and the difference between groups over time was significant.
03The two groups did not differ significantly in hope before the intervention.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only people with mild or moderate MS who could walk without aids were enrolled, so the study says nothing about more severe disability. The trial was small, single-site, and done in Kashan, Iran, so it may not apply to other settings. Follow-up was a month after the program, and the authors did not test longer-term effects. Patients and counselors could not be blinded to the counseling content, and participants were asked not to share it, which may not have been fully guaranteed. The control group received routine care and no active alternative, so the study cannot show whether this counseling is better than other supportive care. The paper planned for 10% attrition but does not report actual dropouts after allocation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that spiritual counseling improves multiple sclerosis disability, quality of life, or long-term outcomes. The trial measured hope only, in people with mild or moderate MS who could walk without aids, and follow-up was a month after the program.