Effects of a self‐management course for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND: For people living with systemic lupus erythematosus, the disease's potential variety and severity of manifestations and unpredictable course present challenges and repercussions in all arenas of life. AIM: A quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of a systemic lupus erythematosus self-management course for Korean patients on fatigue, coping skills, self-efficacy, depression, pain and disease activity. METHODS: In a two-group pre- and post-test design, a total of 41 participants were assigned to the experimental group (21 participants) and to the control group (20 participants). The experimental group received six weekly 2-hour sessions for groups of 10-15 literate adults of all ages, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Outcome measures included fatigue, coping skills, self-efficacy, depression, pain and disease activity. RESULTS: Patients who participated in the self-management course showed significant improvement in fatigue (P = 0.049), coping skills (P = 0.007), self-efficacy (P = 0.001), and depression (P = 0.025). There were no significant changes in pain and disease activity after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The systemic lupus erythematosus self-management course had effects in reducing fatigue and depression and improving coping skills and self-efficacy. This course is potentially a good nursing intervention that can be offered in community settings.