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Cognitive behaviour therapy with advanced breast cancer patients: A brief report of a pilot study
Author(s) -
Cocker Kathryn I.,
Bell David R.,
Kidman Antony D.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.2960030310
Subject(s) - anger , breast cancer , anxiety , coping (psychology) , cognition , clinical psychology , depression (economics) , psychology , intervention (counseling) , psychotherapist , medicine , self esteem , cancer , psychiatry , economics , macroeconomics
In preparation for a formal study on the effects of cognitive behavioural therapeutic intervention with advanced breast cancer patients with respect to improved emotional well‐being and increased survival, a small ( n = 6) pilot study was completed. Depression, anxiety, anger and self‐esteem self‐report measures were administered to determine the outcome of a 12‐week group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy programme which used the rationalemotive therapy model (Ellis, 1991). The programme followed psycho‐educational techniques to teach coping strategies for dealing with the various emotional factors associated with advanced breast cancer. In most cases, data at post‐programme and at a three‐month follow‐up revealed improvements in depression and anger and, to a smaller extent, with self‐esteem. The findings indicate that such a programme is beneficial to advanced breast cancer patients with respect to improving some aspects of emotional well‐being. It is too early to determine whether such a programme will improve survival.