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The Effect of Integrated Religious Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IRCBT) on Psychological Symptoms of Women with Breast Cancer
Mehdi Sharifi, Sakineh Saeidi, Harold G. Koenig, Mahboubeh Dadfar and Yahya Turan
Published: 2023/06/01
Abstract
Breast cancer exacerbates psychological problems and raises existential concerns, and decreases hope and quality of life. The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of integrated religious cognitive behavioral therapy (IRCBT) on psychological symptoms among Iranian women with breast cancer. A total sample of 178 patients referred to the community healthcare centers in Mashhad (Iran) was selected. Patients were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, eight 120-min sessions of IRCBT were administered. All patients completed the Symptom Checklist-25 (SCL-25). At baseline, there was no significant difference between the two groups on the SCL-25 subscales scores. After the intervention, the mean scores on all subscales of the SCL-25 in the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group, except for the obsessive-compulsive, somatization, and neuroticism subscales. The IRCBT may be useful for improving negative psychological symptoms among Iranian women with breast cancer. Keywords: IRCBT, Psychological symptoms, Breast cancer, Religion, Iran
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