Document Type : Scientific Research

Authors

• heman mahmoud fakhe ¹
• ,Razie Rahimi Cham Heydari ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

² M.A, Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objective: In today's era, human knowledge has made many advances in the field of controlling and treating various diseases and medical science. However, cancer is still the second leading cause of death, and in other words, breast cancer is considered one of the most important diseases of the present century, which is one of the most common cancers in women, accounting for 32% of women's cancers. Even though this disease has a traumatic nature and causes problems in all aspects of life, fighting it after diagnosis and treatment can lead to positive changes, which is referred to as post-traumatic growth. Another variable that can affect various aspects of the lives of people with breast cancer and act as a shield against diseases and traumatic events is psychological capital. Therefore, it is important to promote post-traumatic growth and psychological capital in people with breast cancer. In this regard, the current research seeks to answer the question of whether schema therapy has a significant effect on post-traumatic growth and psychological capital in women with breast cancer. Method: The design of the current research was a quasi-experimental type of pre-test and post-test. The research population consisted of women with breast cancer who were referred to the oncology clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital (RA) in Tehran from 2019 to 2020. Among these people, 20 people were selected by the available sampling method and were randomly placed in the experimental and control groups (each group includes 10 people). To collect data, the tools of Tedeschi and Calhoun's post-traumatic growth Inventory (1996) and Luthans’s Psychological Capital Questionnaire (2007) were used. Young’s (2006)schema therapy training sessions were conducted in 20 60-minute sessions weekly, while the control group received no intervention. Data analysis was also done using covariance analysis in the SPSS-23 environment. Results: The findings showed that schema therapy has an effect on post-traumatic growth and psychological capital in women with breast cancer (P<0.05). So the average post-traumatic growth and psychological capital in the experimental group increased in the post-test phase compared to the pre-test. According to the results presented about the descriptive indicators and the difference between the two test and control groups in the post-test of these indicators, it can be said that schema therapy increases post-traumatic growth and psychological capital in women with breast cancer. Conclusion: Schema therapy focuses on the deepest levels of cognition, i.e. schemas and the internalized voice of parents, and teaches clients to become aware of the root of their thoughts. It also helps them to evaluate the correctness of their schemas and examine the evidence that confirms and rejects them, and in this way, question negative thoughts and schemas, and change your approach to the future, the world, and yourself. In other words, first the early maladaptive schemas are identified and then they change and adaptive schemas replace them. In the behavioral pattern-breaking stage, clients were taught how to replace the schema behavioral pattern with healthier coping styles. Also, by correcting the schema of incompetence and shame, people realized their personal abilities and strengths and were able to think about their own values ​​and set goals for themselves, which led to their lives becoming meaningful and valuable and they were able to make spiritual changes in their lives. In this way, schema therapy can help a person to achieve post-traumatic growth and psychological capital. Based on the obtained results, it can be said that by using schema therapy, post-traumatic growth and psychological capital can be increased in women with breast cancer.

Keywords

• Breast Cancer
• Post-Traumatic Growth
• Psychological Capital
• Schema Therapy

Main Subjects

• A