The effectiveness of Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy with Old people (CBTO) on quality of life in patients who suffered from Parkinson Disease (PD)

The present study was intended to study the effectiveness of Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in the quality of life in the older people suffering from Parkinson disease. The methodology of the study was a semi- experimental with pre- test and post- test design along with a control group selected from the population of old people suffering from Parkinson disease. Sample of the study included 40 individuals who were selected by availability sampling method then they were randomly divided into the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent the CBTO treatment for 10 sessions. Research tools of the study included demographic questionnaire and quality of life scale, prepared by WHO, that were administered in two stages, i.e. pre-test and post- test. Research findings showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy had an effect on the quality of life including physical health, psychological health, and social relations, but no significant difference was seen in the dimension of the life environment. Thus, it was concluded that it was necessary to make efforts to enhance the quality of life for the old people suffering from Parkinson disease and that CBTO treatment may cause the improvement of the quality of life in patients with Parkinson disease. Therefore, this method may be employed in the hospitals and asylums as a complementary treatment. Consequently, it is recommended to present cognitive- Behavioral Therapy (CBT) along with other medical interventions as a part of treatment and medical care for the patients suffering from Parkinson disease.