Effectiveness of Training the Couples on the Anxiety of Patients with Breast Cancer and Their Spouses: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Banaee, Bahram; Kiani, Fatemeh; Sanchooli, Anishe; Sarabandi, Anahita

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.9.3007

Effectiveness of Training the Couples on the Anxiety of Patients with Breast Cancer and Their Spouses: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Ms of Medical Surgical Nursing Student, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

² Assistant Professor of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Community Nursing Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

³ Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Zahedan University of Medical Science, Zahedan, Iran.

⁴ Density Student, School of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.9.3007

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer not only affect physical and mental status of the patient intensively but also her spouse. Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders among patients and their spouses. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of training couples on the anxiety of patients with breast cancer and their spouses. Materials and methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out on eighty patients with breast cancer and their spouses who were referred to teaching hospitals of Zahedan University the Medical Sciences in 2022. Participants were divided into two groups intervention and control. The intervention group received three sessions of couples training. Three months after finishing the intervention, the data were gathered by Spielberger’s state-trait anxiety. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Results: Results of this study indicated that the mean and the standard deviation of the patient’s anxiety score in the intervention and the control group have changed from 50.27±6,64 and 49.97 ±7.09 to 50.42±6.18 and 38.70±3.50 respectively. The mean and the standard deviation of the spouses scores ( ‘patients’ husbands) in the intervention group and the control group have changed from 50.70±4.94 and 52.7±6.67 to 51.35 ±4.91 and 39.55±2.89 respectively. Independent T-test showed that there was a significant difference regarding the mean and the standard deviation of the ‘Spouse’s anxiety score between the intervention group and the control group after carrying out the couples training intervention (p<0.001). Conclusion: ‘’This study’ ‘s results showed that spouses’ participation in training sessions can lower patient’s anxiety. Making the spouses more active in patients’ care process empowers them and increases their efficiency to tolerate crisis, which finally decreases their anxiety.

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