The Effect of a Stress Management Training Based on Lazarus and Folkman’s Transactional Model on Coping Efforts and Sleep Quality in Hemodialysis Patients

Today, many hemodialysis patients suffer from stress caused by their disease. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the effect of a structured training intervention explicitly based on the Lazarus and Folkman transactional model on stress management and sleep quality of hemodialysis patients in 2022. This study was a quasi‐experimental conducted from September to February 2021 for 6 months in Bam city hospitals, Kerman province. A total of 105 people participated in this research. In total, 53 were assigned to the intervention group, and 52 to the control group by cluster allocation by center. The intervention group received 6 weeks of training sessions (coping skills, stress management, sleep hygiene, and relaxation techniques). Data collection tools included four questionnaires: demographic information, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Balderi stress, and coping efforts. The average age of the participants was 57.12 ± 13.25 years. Results showed significant improvements in coping efforts from 51.06 (25.09) to 41.27 (20.83) and stress management from 47.02 (36.67) to 36.51 (28.62) 1 month after the intervention ( p < 0.001). The improvement in coping efforts was sustained at 3 months, whereas stress and problem management effects diminished overtime. Sleep quality improved at 1 month ( p = 0.001) but fluctuated by 3 months. No significant changes were observed in emotional regulation across measurement points. Training based on Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model improved coping and stress management, with modest effects on sleep quality. These findings suggest potential value for dialysis care, though larger multicenter trials are needed to confirm long‐term benefits. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: IRCT20221220056882N1