Volume 22, Issue 5 (8-2024)                   Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2024, 22(5): 425-436 | Back to browse issues page


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Alinasab S, Hamid N, Mirhashemy M. THE INTERVENTIONAL EFFECT OF EMOTIONAL AWARENESS AND EXPRESSION THERAPY ON ANGER AND PAIN INTENSITY OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY. Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2024; 22 (5) :425-436
URL: http://unmf.umsu.ac.ir/article-1-5167-en.html
1- PhD student in clinical psychology, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Tehran, Iran
2- Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran (Corresponding Author) , n.hamid@scu.ac.ir
3- Professor, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Tehran, Iran
Abstract:   (889 Views)
Background & Aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Cancer pain is a frequent and debilitating consequence of cancer, reducing the ability to regulate various emotions, such as anger. This disease also has psychological effects that affect the quality of life of these patients. This study aimed to investigate the effect of mindfulness and emotional expression interventions on anger and pain intensity in women with breast cancer.
Materials & Methods: The present study used a quasi-experimental design with pretest, posttest, and control groups, followed by a two-month follow-up stage. The research focused on women with breast cancer referred to the Mehr Soheila charity center in Alborz City. Fifty eligible individuals were purposefully sampled and randomly assigned to either the Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy group (25 subjects) or the control group (25 subjects). The experimental group (EAET) participated in eight 90-minute group sessions between winter 2023 and spring 2024. Research data was collected using Siegel's Multidimensional Anger Scale (MAI) and Visual Pain Scale (VAS) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24 and covariance analysis with repeated measurements.
 Result: The results indicate that awareness and emotional expression therapy significantly impacted the overall pain and anger intensity scores in breast cancer patients. This effect was sustained even after the follow-up stage (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Due to the lack of knowledge about the nature of the disease and the determining role of psychological factors in the rate of recovery and the treatment process, it is necessary to provide conditions in breast cancer patients so that their feelings and emotions are well regulated and expressed. Creating conditions for patients to regulate and express their feelings and emotions can be beneficial due to the lack of knowledge about the nature of the disease. Therefore, it is recommended that health psychologists in therapeutic centers and psychological clinics use emotional awareness and expression therapy (EAET) along with drug treatments to reduce the pain and anger of breast cancer patients.

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