Investigating the effect of psychological empowerment on using coping strategies, stress, anxiety and depression in adolescents with haemophilia: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study examined the effect of psychological empowerment on using coping strategies, stress, anxiety and depression in haemophilic adolescents. A total of 60 adolescents with haemophilia aged 13–19 years old were recruited in a randomized clinical trial and randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. The instruments included Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and Lazarus and Folkman’s Coping Strategies Questionnaire (LFCSQ). The intervention group underwent psychological empowerment. The control group received routine intervention. Data were analysed with Chi-square test and repeated measures analysis of variance. The findings showed a decrease in the mean scores of anxiety, stress and depression (p < .001), and an increase usage of the problem-focused coping strategies (p = .007), in the intervention group after the intervention, that were significantly different with those of the control group. Psychological empowerment could be effective in improving the use of coping strategies and decreasing stress, anxiety and depression in adolescents with haemophilia.