Physiological and psychological improvements of Chinese women with breast cancer in perioperative period after brief structured psychotherapy

摘要

Several studies have demonstrated that 30%-40% of cancer patients suffer from psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety and adjustment disorders. The more positively the breast cancer patients rated their appraisal and tangible dimensions of social support, the lower value their mean cortisol level. Malignant melanoma patients who received 6-week structured intervention showed a lessening of emotional discomfort, augmentation of immune function and a decreased recurrence rate and mortality. Brief structured psychological intervention is a new type of psychotherapy, which can help relieve negative emotions of patients who experience stress and give psychological support to reduce posttraumatic syndrome. We developed a brief structured psychological intervention covering knowledge of breast cancer treatment, coping strategy and social support.