The effectiveness of psychodrama on reducing depression among multiple sclerosis patients

Introduction: Psychodrama, as a form of art therapy, helps people to enact and use role-plays for a specific problem, rather than just talking about it, in an effort to review the problem, gain feedback from group members, find appropriate solutions, and practice them for their life. The current paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of psychodrama therapy on the reduction of depression for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Method: This research was a quasi-experimental study, using pre-post and follow-up testing plan with a control group. By using a convenience sampling technique, a total of 20 individuals were selected among clients with MS referring to the Iranian Multiple Sclerosis Society. The subjects were randomly placed into two control and experimental groups. The experimental group participated in a twelve-session therapy plan for 6 weeks, while the control group received no intervention. In order to collect data, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the demographical information questionnaire were used. Data analysis was performed by analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The results revealed a decrease in the post test and follow-up test scores for depression, and such decrease is statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings indicate the effectiveness of the psychodrama intervention to decrease depression among patients with MS. Due to increased group and social interactions and enhanced interpersonal experiences, psychodrama can relieve depression symptoms. Hence, participating in the psychodrama therapy will enable patients to decrease the levels of depression.