اثربخشی درمان شناختی مبتنی بر ذهن‌آگاهی بر مقابله با درد و ترس از عود سرطان در بیماران مبتلا به سرطان پستان شهر ساری

زهرا  نوری تلاوکی; محمد کاظم فخری; رمضان  حسن زاده

Authors

Zahra Noori Talavaki Phd Student in General Psychology, Sari.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1034-7035
Mohammad Kazem Fakhri Department of Psychology, Sari.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7790-2588
Ramazan Hassanzadeh Department of Psychology, Sari.C., Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7910-7326

Keywords:

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Pain Coping, Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Breast Cancer

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on coping with pain and fear of cancer recurrence among women with breast cancer.

Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest, control group, and three-month follow-up. The statistical population included all women with breast cancer referred to the comprehensive oncology centers of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari during 2025. A total of 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (15 participants in each group). The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy based on the protocol developed by Zindel Segal and colleagues (2002), while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory developed by Simard and Savard (2009) and the Pain Coping Strategies Questionnaire developed by Rosenstiel and Francis Keefe (1983). Data analysis was conducted using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS-24.

Findings: The results of repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy significantly increased pain coping and reduced fear of cancer recurrence among patients with breast cancer (P<0.001). Bonferroni post hoc comparisons indicated significant differences between pretest scores and both posttest and follow-up scores in both variables. Furthermore, the stability of treatment effects was confirmed during the three-month follow-up phase. Large effect sizes also indicated the strong effectiveness of the intervention.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is an effective and durable intervention for improving pain coping and reducing fear of cancer recurrence in women with breast cancer. By enhancing present-moment awareness, emotional acceptance, and cognitive flexibility, this intervention contributes to better psychological adjustment and quality of life among patients. Therefore, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can be considered an effective complementary psychological intervention alongside medical treatments for breast cancer patients.

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