The effect of psychoeducation based on neuman's systems model on the psychological distress and coping with stress of the spouses of patients in intensive care unit

Objective: To examine the effect of a psychoeducation program based on Neuman's Systems Model (NSM) on psychological distress and stress coping styles of spouses of individuals hospitalized in an intensive care unit. Method: The study is a single mixed methods study that combining model-based program development and intertwined action research phases. The study was conducted with the spouses (n=14) of patients admitted to the intensive care unit of a state hospital. The NSM-based on psychoeducation was implemented in six sessions with face-to-face individual interview method. Data were collected with the "Psychological Distress Scale" and "Stress Coping Styles Scale" before and after the action, and qualitative data were collected after the action. Wilcoxon test was used to analyze quantitative data, and thematic and descriptive analysis were used to analyze qualitative data. Key words: coping with stress, intensive care, neuman's systems model, psychoeducation, psychological distress Results: Participants' psychological distress levels decreased (p=.002); self-confident (p=.001), optimistic (p=.003) and social support seeking (p=.001) of approaches increased; helpless (p=.001) and submissive (p=.020) of approaches decreased. Three main and 13 sub-themes were obtained from the qualitative data. It has been found that the most frequently experienced coping strategies by the participants are "expressing emotions", "acceptance", and "seeking social support". The most frequently experienced emotional responses are "reduced anxiety" and "empowerment in coping". Participants stated that they needed psychosocial support. Conclusion: The NSM-based on psychoeducation was found to reduce psychological distress and improve coping styles with stress. It has been found that after the action, the most used strategies were expressing emotions, acceptance, and seeking social support, and that participants experienced reduced anxiety and increased strength in coping. It is recommended that this program be used to support the psychological health and coping of spouses of individuals in intensive care.