Effects of Behavioral Activation on the Quality of Life and Emotional State of Lung Cancer and Breast Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy Treatment

Research suggests that the progressive abandonment of activities in cancer patients are related to depression and worse quality of life. Behavioral activation (BA) encourages subjects to activate their sources of reinforcement and modify the avoidance responses. This study assesses the effectiveness...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavior modification 2019-03, Vol.43 (2), p.151-180
Main Authors: Fernández-Rodríguez, Concepción, Villoria-Fernández, Erica, Fernández-García, Paula, González-Fernández, Sonia, Pérez-Álvarez, Marino
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety
Breast cancer
Cancer
Chemotherapy
Control Groups
Emotional Disturbances
Experimental Groups
Lung cancer
Mental depression
Patients
Quality of life
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Summary:Research suggests that the progressive abandonment of activities in cancer patients are related to depression and worse quality of life. Behavioral activation (BA) encourages subjects to activate their sources of reinforcement and modify the avoidance responses. This study assesses the effectiveness of BA in improving quality of life and preventing emotional disorders during chemotherapy treatment. One sample of lung cancer patients and another of breast cancer patients were randomized into a BA experimental group (E.G.lung/4sess.n = 50; E.G.breast/6sess.n = 33) and a control group (C.G.lung/4sess.n = 40; C.G.breast/6sess.n = 35), respectively. In each session and in follow-ups (3/6/9 months), all participants completed different assessment scales. The results converge to show the effectiveness of BA, encouraging cancer patients to maintain rewarding activities which can activate their sources of day-to-day reinforcement and modify their experience avoidance patterns. BA appears to be a practical intervention which may improve social and role functioning and the emotional state of cancer patients during chemotherapy treatment.
ISSN:0145-4455
1552-4167
DOI:10.1177/0145445517746915