The Strength, Hope and Resourcefulness Program for People with
Parkinson’s Disease: A Qualitative Investigation of Helpful Group
Processes
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by
motor and non-motor features. Many people with PD struggle with mental
health issues such as depression. Evidence shows that people with PD may
have trouble adopting a hopeful or positive orientation given their
diagnosis and symptoms. Psychological treatments for PD are scarce and
even more scarce are treatments that specifically focus on promoting
hope and well-being. The Strengths, Hope, and Resourcefulness Program
for People with Parkinson’s Disease was developed to begin to address
this treatment gap. This qualitative study used in-depth,
semi-structured interviews with 15 participants to identify seven
processes group members found helpful during treatment: Accessing Hope,
Comparing, Drawing Together, Reaching Beyond Self, Releasing Emotion,
Sharing Skills/Picking Up Resources, and Self-Reflecting/Personal
Insight. The unique contributions of an intentional and explicit hope,
strengths, and resources intervention are discussed with specific
attention to therapeutic process and practice. This study was reviewed
and approved by the Health Research Ethics Board at the University of
Alberta (ID # Pro00065937).