Forming a Stress Management and Health Promotion Program for Women Undergoing Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Abstract

Objective. To assess the effects of an 8-week stress management and health promotion program on women undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy treatment. Patients and methods. A total of 61 patients were recruited in 2 cancer centers and were randomly assigned to the intervention program (n = 30) or control group (n = 31). The intervention program consisted of different stress management techniques, which were combined with instructions for lifestyle modification. Assessments were carried out through questionnaires and measurement of body mass index (BMI) at baseline and at the end of the 8-week program. Results. In all, 25 participants completed the intervention program, whereas 28 participants completed the observational control program. The intervention program resulted in a small effect size on internal dimension of Health Locus of Control (HLC) and a medium effect size on stress, depression, anxiety, night sleep duration, and chance dimension of HLC. A strong effect size was recorded for BMI and sleep onset latency. Self-rated health, spiritual well-being, and powerful others dimension of HLC were not significantly affected. Additionally, some of the participants reported a reduction in the side effects caused by chemotherapy. Conclusions. The intervention resulted in several benefits for the general health status of patients. Therefore, it should be considered as feasible and potentially beneficial for women undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy. However, it is necessary for this intervention to be tested through a randomized controlled trial in a larger sample of patients before adopting this program in standard cancer care.

Effect of a Pedometer-based Exercise Program on Cancer Related Fatigue and Quality of Life amongst Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy

“…The findings of our study with regards to decrease in BMI is in line with a pilot randomized controlled trial done by Pelekasis et al, (2016). That showed a statistically significant decrease in the BMI of the exercise group that received a pedometer-based physical activity combined with diaphragmatic breathing exercise, dietary consultation and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).…”

Effects of psychosocial interventions on meaning and purpose in adults with cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Of these, 2893 clearly did not meet the inclusion criteria and were discarded, and 514 were assessed further with full texts. Of these, 485 did not meet the inclusion criteria; 29 did and were included in the analyses …”

Are psychological interventions effective on anxiety in cancer patients? A systematic review and meta‐analyses

“…Characteristics of each study are presented in Supplementary Table 1 . More than half of the included studies (n = 38/71) were published after 2010.…”

“…In an another study, the proportion of participants taking antidepressants increased over time—from 29% at the baseline to 37% at 10 weeks of psychological intervention . In that context, several studies deliberately excluded patients with severe distress (HADS score ≥20 followed by DSM IV interview), high anxiety, past depression, regular psychotropic medication prescription, mood disorder, psychiatric disorder or major depressive disorder, or psychiatric comorbidity diagnosed by psychiatrist, limiting the findings of many studies to patients with mild distress.…”

“…past depression, 58 regular psychotropic medication prescription,19,83,89 mood disorder, psychiatric disorder or major depressive disorder,18,40,60,68,83,90 or psychiatric comorbidity diagnosed by psychiatrist,66 limiting the findings of many studies to patients with mild distress.…”