Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of supportive-expressive group (SEG) therapy and body-mind-spirit (BMS) intervention on emotional suppression and psychological distress in Chinese breast cancer patients.This three-arm randomized controlled trial assigned 157 non-metastatic breast cancer patients to BMS, SEG, or social support control group. SEG focused on emotional expression and group support, whereas BMS emphasized relaxation and self-care. All groups received 2-h weekly sessions for 8 weeks. The participants completed measurements on emotional suppression, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression at baseline and three follow-up assessments in 1 year.Using latent growth modeling, overall group difference was found for emotional suppression (? (2)(2)?=?8.88, p?=?0.012), marginally for perceived stress (? (2)(2)?=?5.70, p?=?0.058), but not for anxiety and depression (? (2)(2)?=?0.19-0.94, p?>?0.05). Post-hoc analyses revealed a significant and moderate reduction (Cohen d?=?0.55, p?=?0.007) in emotional suppression in SEG compared to control group, whereas BMS resulted in a marginally significant and moderate fall (d?=?0.46, p?=?0.024) in perceived stress. Neither SEG nor BMS significantly improved anxiety and depression (d??0.05).The present results did not demonstrate overall effectiveness for either BMS or SEG therapy in the present sample of Chinese non-metastatic breast cancer patients. The participants appear to derive only modest benefits in terms of their psychological well-being from either intervention.

View details for DOI 10.1007/s00520-016-3350-8

View details for Web of Science ID 000387224900013

View details for PubMedID 27470259

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5082591