Effect of Emotion Regulation Training Based on the Gross Model on Anxiety among Parents of Children with Cancer

Parents of children with cancer experience intense anxiety.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of emotion regulation training based on the Gross model on anxiety among the parents of children with cancer.

This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 60 parents of children with cancer admitted to a 130-bed pediatric hospital in Western Iran in 2018. Anxiety level was assessed pre- and post-intervention using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. The individuals of the test group attended emotion regulation training based on the Gross model, while the participants in the control group received routine training. The data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 23 using the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent t-test.

Our findings demonstrated that the mean age of participants was 32.5±5.09 and 32.26±4.9 years in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Total anxiety scores of the intervention and control groups pre-intervention were obtained as 33.9±7.1 and 34.3±7.4, respectively. This score changed to 19.2±1.47 in the test group and 33.73±1.36 in the control group immediately post-intervention. Moreover, three months post-intervention, the scores of 22.17±5.8 and 34.03±6.96 were observed in the control and intervention groups, respectively. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the effect of the intervention (P<0.001).

Emotion regulation training based on the Gross model could decrease anxiety levels in the parents of children with cancer. Therefore, it is recommended to be applied by caregivers for this group of people