Abstracto

Treatment by repeating phrases of positive thoughts (TRPPT): A new effective treatment tool against psychological troubles (PSYT) (Depression, anxiety, stress, low self-esteem and dissatisfaction in life) in multiple sclerosis patients and students, a controlled and randomized pilot study.

Muaweah Ahmad Alsaleh, Amani Kubitary

Introduction: Psychological troubles (PSYT) are common co-morbidities symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS). Negative verbal thinking style plays a causal role in maintaining intrusions, perhaps serving to trigger subsequent depressive and anxious symptoms and psychological distress. Positive verbal thinking style plays protective role against these symptoms.

Objective: The objective of this study was the first to evaluate the short-term effects of the TRPPT method (Treatment by Repeating Phrases of Positive Thoughts).

Method: The total of (27) participants, 20 students from the University of Damascus and 7 MS patients from Damascus Hospital and Ibn Alnafees Hospital.

Results: Experimental group who has benefited from RPPT have had less depression, less anxiety and less stress and there were significant differences between experimental and control groups. According to value of effect size (Cohen's d), NAT (1.595; 1.822), depression (1.446; 2.615), anxiety (1.492; 2.286), stress (1.395; 2.363) decrease after TRPPT; and PAT (1.643; 2.162) self-esteem (2.204; 1.676) and satisfaction in life (1.432; 1.781) improve among MS patients and students after TRPPT, respectively. The results showed a significant reduction in psychological disturbances throughout the experimental group (p<0.05) and a significant reduction in stress following the RPPT protocol (p<0.01), less anxiety (p<0.001) and also less depression (p<0.05). The short-term effect RPPT (repeating phrases positive thoughts) is significant. A low score of psychological disorders have emerged as one independent variable predictive of a good response to treatment by RPPT method.

Conclusion: The positive cognitions improve the treatment of depression, anxiety and stress in clinical sample (MS patients) and non- clinical one (students) and it also enhance their selfesteem and their quality of life. Unlike medicinal treatments, there is no consumption limit or adverse side effects. TRPPT is new psychotherapeutic approach against psychological disorders. Contrary to NAT, increased PAT predicted decreased psychopathy. So, the optimal state of mind based on TRPPT is characterized by the optimal balance between cognitive and affective structure, corresponding to an adaptive and flexible balance in healthy persons in neutral situations. This theoretically optimal state of mind is positively balanced, but at the same time includes sufficient negative cognition to remain realistically cautious.