Comparison of the Effects of Islamic and Conventional Approaches to Hope Therapy on Self-esteem and Life Satisfaction of Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Background and Objectives: The decreased level of self-esteem and life satisfaction is prevalent among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an Islamic approach to hope therapy on the promotion of self-esteem and life satisfaction in comparison with its conventional approach in patients with CAD. Methods: The study was conducted in a quasi-experimental control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 60 patients with CAD selected by convenience sampling method from one of Qom hospitals. Data collection tools included the Self-Esteem Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Hope State Scale. After collecting pre-test data, participants were divided into three peer groups, and the intervention was performed in eight sessions each lasting for 90-minute. An experimental group was exposed to Islamic hope therapy and the other received conventional hope therapy, while the control group received a stress management package. Finally, all the groups undertook the same posttests and the data obtained were analyzed in SPSS22 software using the Covariance test. Results: Both Islamic and conventional hope therapy increased hope (7, 10.5), life satisfaction )9, 12.8), and self-esteem (7.5, 13.9) of the patients with CAD significantly. Moreover, it was found that Islamic hope therapy was more effective in the enhancement of self-esteem and life satisfaction, compared to conventional hope therapy. Conclusion: Islamic hope therapy outperformed the conventional hope therapy in terms of increasing the self-esteem and life satisfaction of patients with CAD. Therefore, it is recommended to use Islamic hope therapy for patients with CAD and other similar chronic diseases.