Compassion-Based Intervention Protocol Effectiveness on Health-Related Outcomes of Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) among women requires a significant psychological and physical adaptation. Compassion training has been shown to improve both physical and mental health, but there is currently few researches examining the efficacy of compassion-based therapies for breast cancer. Purpose of the study: To evaluate compassion-based intervention protocol effectiveness on health related outcomes of women with breast cancer. Design: A quasi experimental design, two groups (study and control group pre/posttest). Setting: Oncology Hospital out-patient’s clinics at Menoufia Governorate, Egypt. Subjects: A purposive sample of 140 women with breast cancer undergoing treatment was selected and divided randomized equally to study and control group. Study Instruments: Five Instruments were used; Structured Interviewing Questionnaire, Self-Compassion Scale, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Self-related ability for health practice (self-efficacy) scale and Health - Promoting Behaviors Inventory. Results: A significant improvement in self-compassion and cognitive emotion regulation on post intervention among study group than control group. Also, health related behavior “self-efficacy” and health-promoting behaviors showed a significant difference between two studied groups after the protocol of intervention (P. value 0.01). Moreover, The high percentage of the study and control groups pre-test were low self-efficiency (≤ 37.6), while high percentage of the study group post-test were having high self-efficiency (≥ 74.6) than control group. Conclusion: Compassion training intervention protocol represents a potentially beneficial method to support women with breast cancer for improving self-efficacy, health-promoting behaviors as well as cognitive emotional regulation strategies. Recommendation: Further researches are required to highlight the potential advantages of compassion-based training intervention protocol on a variety of outcomes that health care providers can apply in clinical practice with clients and support by mobile technologies to determine its efficiency.