Effects of Couple Therapy Adaptation on Mental Health Patients with Breast Cancer and Their Spouses

Breast cancer is epidemic cancer in women that a effects family and couple functions. This study aims at investigating the effects of couple therapy adaptation on patients with breast cancer and their spouses and studying the efficacy of this adaptive treatment on the mental health of those spouses and comparing the results to those of control group. This study is a semi-experimental research based on experimental and control groups. Research population consists of all patients with breast cancer، having come to Shahid Ghazi Hospital in 1392-93. From the above-mentioned population، 40 subjects have been selected through available non-random sampling. 17 couple were chosen as experimental (3 person leave treatment because of their personal problem) and 20 couple were chosen as control groups in a random manner. Then، subjects in the experimental group were being trained for “breast cancer adaptation” in 6 sessions. Subjects in control group did not receive any training. Subjects in both experimental and control groups answered initially tested using measuring tool for mental health before treatment and after treatment. The covariance result revealed that couple therapy make better mental health (p=0/001)، body symptoms (p=0/001)، anxiety (p=0/001)، social mal-function (p=0/001) and depression (p=0/001) in woman and spouses. This finding confirmed that couple therapy adaptation reduce cancer patient''s، mental heath and their spouses. This treatment is effective in reducing mental health problem and increasing couple adaptation.