Effects of a cognitive-behavioral nursing intervention on anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a cognitive-behavioral nursing intervention on anxiety and depression of patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy. A nonequivalent control group design was used for the study. The research participants were patients with breast cancer (N=71; experimental group=35, comparison group=36) who received radiotherapy at P university hospital. The experimental group received a 6-week cognitive-behavioral nursing intervention (2 hr/week), which included nursing counseling, education about treatment choices for breast cancer and possible side effects and management strategies during radiotherapy, and rehabilitation exercise. Following the intervention, the experimental group showed significantly lower levels of anxiety (Experimental group=34.60+/-6.35, Comparison group=44.63+/-9.93, t=3.552, p