Short-Term Effectiveness of a Psychotherapeutic Intervention Model in Nursing for Ineffective Coping in GAD Outpatients: A Small-Sample Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Although nurse-delivered psychotherapeutic interventions have demonstrated benefits for individuals with anxiety disorders, no randomized controlled trial has evaluated the effectiveness of the Psychotherapeutic Intervention Model in Nursing for the nursing diagnosis of ineffective coping among psychiatric outpatients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This study aimed to examine the short-term effectiveness of this model on the nursing-sensitive outcomes of coping and self-esteem. Methods: This single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted among patients diagnosed with GAD. A total of 20 participants were randomized, of whom 17 completed the study. Seven of eight participants in the IG and eight of nine participants in the TAU group received pharmacotherapy, while participants in the IG additionally participated in a seven-week Psychotherapeutic Intervention Model in Nursing program. Data were collected at baseline (T0) and week 8 (T1) using information forms and the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) Coping and Self-Esteem outcome measures. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, independent-samples t tests, and repeated-measures general linear models. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Significant time × group interactions were observed for both NOC Coping and Self-Esteem outcomes. Participants in the IG demonstrated significantly greater improvements over time than those in the TAU group in coping (T0: 42.87 ± 6.03, T1: 76.75 ± 5.34, p < 0.001) and self-esteem (T0: 57.25 ± 7.29, T1: 78.62 ± 6.14, p < 0.001). In the TAU group, no significant changes were observed in coping (T0: 45.11 ± 6.70, T1: 45.33 ± 8.96, p > 0.05) or self-esteem (T0: 59.44 ± 8.63, T1: 58.89 ± 10.11, p > 0.05). Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence supporting the short-term effectiveness of the Psychotherapeutic Intervention Model in Nursing in improving NOC Coping and Self-Esteem outcomes among psychiatric outpatients with GAD and a nursing diagnosis of ineffective coping. Larger, multicenter randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up periods are warranted to confirm these findings. Clinical Trial Registration: This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov at https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06076746 (registration number: NCT06076746).