Effectiveness of Cognitive-Emotional Training on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Women with Breast Cancer: A Clinical Trial Study

Being involved in a serious crises, such as cancer, results in different reactions in humans, one of which is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-emotional training on PTSD among women with breast cancer referring to the chemotherapy unit. This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 85 patients with breast cancer in Imam Ali Hospital of Zahedan, Iran. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control. The intervention group was provided with five group cognitive-emotional training sessions. The data were collected using the PTSD questionnaire administered before the intervention and 12 weeks after the final training session. Data analysis was performed by SPSS21 using the Independent t-test, Chi-square test, and Paired sample t-test. According to the results, the mean PTSD in the posttest and mean changes in stress scores of the intervention group were 32.13 ± 8.51 and -26.67 ± 13.75, respectively. These mean scores were significantly less than those in the control group (51.38 ± 13.91 and -8.21 ± 8.09, respectively) (P = 0.001). Cognitive-emotional intervention had a positive effect on PTSD among women with breast cancer. Therefore, this method is recommended to be included in the care program of women with breast cancer.