Online occupational therapy in the caregivers of people with Multiple sclerosis: a randomized control trial

Abstract

Purpose Caregivers of people with Multiple sclerosis (MS) face various challenges in the occupations of daily lives. We investigated the effect of an online occupational therapy program on the mastery and performance in caregivers of people with MS. Method In a single-blind randomized controlled trial twenty-four eligible caregivers of people with MS participated in the control and an occupational therapy group program. Caregivers completed The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Relative Mastery Scale (RMS) before and after the intervention and one-month later. Findings The level of performance, satisfaction and mastery were significantly improved in the intervention group after the intervention (p<.001) and there were significant differences in performance and satisfaction scores between the groups (p<.001). Implications Online Occupational therapy shows promising results in facilitating the adaptation process and improving caregivers’ performance and satisfaction levels. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis face various challenges when engaging in their daily occupations. Managing the challenges faced by caregivers as essential members of the treatment team contributes to improving their performance level in daily occupations and can finally enhance the quality of treatment interventions for patients. Online delivery can overcome caregivers’ time constraints for attendance in the treatment centers for training. Online occupational therapy can enhance mastery, occupational performance level, and satisfaction, and is recommended for caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis.