لیلا حیدری

The prevalence of depression and anxiety, or a combination of both, in women following a diagnosis of breast cancer is twice more than that in the general female population. Consequently, numerous psychological interventions have been implemented to manage these conditions. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of logotherapy, either alone or in conjunction with yoga, on the levels of anxiety, depression, and happiness in survivors of breast cancer.

This randomized clinical trial study focused on breast cancer patients who completed their treatment and entered the study after providing informed consent. Participants were randomly assigned to either the logotherapy group, with or without the inclusion of yoga, for eight weeks. At both the baseline and end of the study, participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Oxford Happiness Inventory questionnaires. The alterations in outcome scores were then compared between the two groups within the study.

A total of  89 patients aged 49-51 years, all diagnosed with depression, successfully completed all sessions of the intervention. The majority of these participants were married housewives with a diploma-level education, and most were diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. The results indicated that following yoga and logotherapy interventions in both groups, there was a significant reduction in the mean levels of depression and anxiety (P<0.001), alongside a significant increase in the mean happiness score (P<0.001). Furthermore, the research demonstrated that while the reduction in anxiety and depression following the interventions in the logotherapy and yoga group was not significant, the increase in happiness was significant, in comparison with the other two variables (anxiety and depression) (P˂0.026).

As evidenced by the obtained results, logotherapy sessions alone or in combination with yoga showed significant beneficial effects on reducing anxiety and depression and increasing happiness in breast cancer patients. Therefore, it is recommended to incorporate these psychological interventions (logotherapy sessions, both with and without yoga) as a complementary form of treatment.