Effectiveness of Group Psychotherapy Based on Admission and Commitment to Body Dysmorphic Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Women With Breast Cancer

Dysmorphic disorders of the body are one of the most common abnormalities in women with breast cancer. Women with this disorder seem to be over-represented, which affects their individual and social life. In this regard, the present study aims at assessing the effectiveness of group psychotherapy based on admission and commitment to the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in women with breast cancer.

The present study is a quasi-experimental research with a pre-test-post-test-follow-up design with the control group. For this purpose, 30 patients with breast cancer, who were referred to Khansari and Shariati Hospitals in Arak in 2016, were selected through convenience sampling method; they were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups (15 patients in each group). This study used a correctional scale for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder); the experimental group was treated for 8 sessions (each session 60 minutes), but no intervention was received in the control group. For data analysis, descriptive and deductive statistics were used to analyze covariance.

The results of covariance analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups in improving the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder of the body during the post-test (F=16.53, P<0.0001) and follow-up (F=11.56, P=002) stages.

Acceptance and commitment therapy can be effective in recovering the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder of women with breast cancer.