Exploring the effects of group therapy for the visually impaired

Abstract

Individuals with visual impairments may experience varying levels of stress due to their vision loss. This study investigated the effectiveness of a brief stress management group therapy intervention for visually impaired individuals. The measure for evaluating participants’ stress levels was the Calgary Symptoms of Stress Inventory (C-SOSI), and overall well-being was measured via the Outcome Rating Scale (ORS). The study evaluated 36 participants, all experiencing varying levels of vision loss, recruited from a regional vision rehabilitation center. Approximately half of the participants were men (16) and half were women (20). The mean age of participants was 48.2 years (standard deviation [SD] = 12.9 years). This was a predominately African American sample (72%). The C-SOSI was administered before and after participation in an 8-week stress management group. The ORS was administered at every session. Well-being was significantly increased during the first round of the intervention (p = .02). No statistically significant decreases for stress during the first round of the intervention were observed. Those that enrolled in the intervention for a second round of treatment had a significant decrease for stress (p = .001), but not for well-being. Overall, hypotheses were partially supported. Stress scores decreased during both rounds of the intervention; a significant reduction in stress scores was found for those individuals in the second round of the intervention. Well-being also increased during both rounds of the intervention; a significant increase was found only for the first round of the intervention. These results may suggest that individuals need approximately 16 weeks of the intervention to experience significant reductions in their stress levels. The results and implications of the current treatment protocol are discussed.