Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Science Communicator Platform

Stay connected! Follow us on X network (Twitter):
Share this content! On (X network) By
Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Management on Self-Differentiation and Fear of Disease Progression in Patients With Breast Cancer



Hasannezhad Reskati M1 ; Hosseini SH2 ; Alizadehnavaei R3 ; Khosravi S4 ; Mirzaian B1
Authors
Show Affiliations
Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Psychology, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran
  2. 2. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
  3. 3. Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
  4. 4. Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: Journal of Babol University of Medical Sciences Published:2020

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Fear of disease progression and rejection of what happened and not being able to distinguish oneself from mental processes cause confusion in mental health. Since acceptance and commitment therapy emphasizes on modification of dysfunctional processes such as avoidance and fusion and their change to acceptance and commitment, the present study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on self-differentiation and fear of disease progression in patients with breast cancer. METHODS: This clinical trial was performed on 30 patients referred to the Touba Oncology Center in Sari, who were randomly divided into two groups of experiment and control (n=15). The treatment was performed in eight 90-minute sessions in the experimental group. Participants were assessed and compared based on questionnaire of self-differentiation and fear of disease progression before the experiment and two months after that. FINDINGS: The results showed that fear of disease progression in the pre-test compared to the post-test decreased in the experimental group (135.11±4.27 versus 126.05±3.12) and in the follow-up period, this decease continued in the experimental group (125.32±3.05) (p<0.05). In addition, the mean score of self-differentiation in pre-test compared to post-test increased (67.12±12.5 versus 77.17±4.51) and this increase continued in the follow-up period (75.4±3.34) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that acceptance and commitment therapy management could be effective in increasing self-differentiation and reducing the fear of disease progression in breast cancer patients. © 2020, Babol University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
Related Docs
1. The Psychometric Properties of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire (Fop-Q) for Cancer Patients in Iran, Journal of Gastrointestinal Cancer (2023)
2. A Validity and Reliability Evaluation of Fear of Progression Questionnaire in Iranian Breast Cancer Patients: A Methodological Study, Health Science Reports (2024)
3. A Randomized Clinical Trial: Efficacy of Group-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program for Breast Cancer Patients With High Fear of Progression, Psycho-Oncology (2024)
4. Fear of Cancer Recurrence and Coping Strategies Among Prostate Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study, Current Oncology (2023)
5. The Relationship Between Spiritual Well-Being and Fear of Cancer Progression in Iranian Cancer Patients, Frontiers in Psychology (2025)
Experts (# of related papers)
Marziyeh Lashkari (1)