Effect of written Exposure Therapy (WET) Vs. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction(MBSR) on Managing pain and Mental Adjustment to cancer in Women with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in and one of the foremost factors behind the death of women worldwide. Hence, early diagnosis and intervention increase the probability of recovery and reduce the mortality rate. This study examined the effect of written exposure therapy and mindfulness-based stress reduction on managing pain and mental adjustment in women with breast cancer.

Sixty females with breast cancer referred to the Shahid Rajaei Hospital in Babolsar, Iran were randomly assigned to one of the three WET (n = 20), MBSR (n = 20) or control (n = 20) groups. WET is a 5-session low-intensity exposure-based intervention for treating PTSD. MBSR is a systematic educational program during an 8-week period. The control group had no additional contact. Measures assessing managing pain and mental adjustment were administered at baseline, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up.

Both the WET and MBSR groups achieved significant improvement in managing pain and mental adjustment with statistically significant differences between groups. However, However, no significant difference was reported between the effectiveness of the interventions used in the present study on pain management and adaptation to cancer in breast cancer patients.

Both WET and MBSR appear to have beneficial effects in in increasing pain management and psychological adjustment in breast cancer patients in Iran. Therefore, experts, researchers and therapists in this field can use these interventions as effective treatment options based on research evidence to improve the psychological functions of breast cancer patients along with their medical treatments and, accordingly, health indicators.
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