Evaluation of effectiveness of a group cognitive-behavioral therapy on body image, self-esteem, sexuality and distress in breast cancer patients

Abstract

Breast cancer and its treatment has a great influence on psychological factors of patients diagnosed and treated for their illness. According to these factors, we are going to emphasize the changes produced on body image, self-esteem, and sexuality. The aim of this study is to manage body image, sexuality, self-esteem, mood and anxiety symptoms with a cognitive - behavioural focus group. Thirty-eight disease-free women were evaluated. Median follow up for breast cancer was three years at Doce de Octubre Hospital (Madrid). These women were randomized, into two groups, experimental (cognitive behavioural therapy) and control (observation). Once the experimental group treatment fi nished we evaluated both groups to check the effectiveness of the intervention. The measures in the two groups were done using the following scales: Beck Depression Inventary (BDI), State-Trait Anxiety Inventary (STAI), The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), 10-item Body Image Scale (BIS). The sexual disfunction and sexual satisfaction were measured by a simple question. The group treatment had 9 an-hour-anda-half- sessions, once a week. This 9 sessions were divided in four groups; two for the mood status, four for the body image and self esteem, two for sexuality and the last one for closing with the tests. The data show that the treatment was effective significatively comparing the experimental and the control group in the BDI score (p=0.005), STAI-E (p=0.002), selfsteem (p=0.001) and body image (p=0.014). Therefore, the effectiveness of the cognitivebehavioral treatment is demonstrated in group therapy for the improvement of the selfesteem, the corporal image and the sexuality after suffer a breast cancer.