Behavioral Activation in Women with Breast Cancer Experiencing Anxiety and Depression
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effect of a Behavioral Activation Program on anxiety, depression, and behavioral activation levels in women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy. Method: A pre–post intervention study with a changing criterion design was conducted. Fifteen women with breast cancer (n = 15) were assessed before and after a structured Behavioral Activation Program. Results: The Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed significant differences between pre and posttreatment scores for anxiety (z = −3.409, p < 0.05), depression (z = −3.413, p < 0.05), and behavioral activation (z = −3.408, p < 0.05). Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were large for anxiety (d = 1.02) and very large for depression (d = 1.44) and behavioral activation (d = 1.14). Conclusions: After intervention participants showed an increase in behavioral activation and reductions in anxiety and depression. Behavioral Activation appears to be a promising brief psychological option for women with breast cancer receiving radiotherapy. Future research should include larger and more diverse samples to confirm these findings.
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