Effectiveness of Self-Talk Technique and Positive Empathy on Deficient Attitudes, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Thoughts in Women with Breast Cancer

Problems stemming from individual's reactions to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer have various effects on the different dimensions of individuals and familie's lives such as deficient attitudes, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts. The study aim was determining the effectiveness of self-talk technique and positive empathy in reducing symptoms and modifying deficient attitudes, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts in women with breast cancer in Tehran.
The present study was semi-experimental with a pre-test post-test design along with a control group in Tehran from 2014 to 2015. The statistical population consisted of 20 women with breast cancer who were randomly divided into two groups: experiment group (10 individuals) and control group (10 individuals). The experiment group received 12 sessions (each session=90 minutes) with educational structures of self-talk and positive empathy techniques. Data collection tools included Wizeman and Beck's deficient Attitudes Scales, Beck's Hopelessness, and Beck's Suicidal Thoughts Measurement. Data were obtained using SPSS19 software in two sections: descriptive and inferential (variance analysis with repeated measurement and Post Hoc test LSD).
The interactive effect of test time and group of each dependent variable was significant. The mean difference between pre-test and post-test in measuring all three dependent variables was significant. On the other hand, the mean difference between post-test and control test was not significant in any of the dependent variables. However, the mean difference between pre-test and control test was significant in all three variables.
Teaching self-talk and positive empathy techniques had positive effects on reducing deficient attitudes, hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts. In addition, results proved the sustainability of intervention effects on the size of dependent variables.