Effect of Self-Help Group Participation on Stress and Anxiety of Breast Cancer Patient Receiving Radiotherapy at Mahavachiralongkorn Thanyaburi Hospital

Abstract

Backgrounds: Breast cancer patients who receiving radiotherapy for the long treatment time had stress and anxiety about the treatment. Self-help group participation can apply to breast cancer patients to reduce their stress and anxiety of breast cancer patient receiving radiotherapy. Objective: The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to study the effect of self-help group participation on stress and anxiety of breast cancer patient receiving Radiotherapy at Mahavachiralongkorn Thanyaburi hospital. Materials and methods: Twenty breast cancer patients who receiving radiotherapy, were sampled and selected on a purposive sampling basic. They were divided into two groups, the control and experiment, each composed of ten subjects. The control group received radiotherapy without participation in self-help group, whereas the experimental group received radiotherapy participated in the 1-hour session of self-help group once a week for 5 times. The data were recorded two times about 15-20 minute per time by themselves, first before study, second when finished the radiotherapy treatment. The instruments used in this study included a demographic data record form, Suanprung Stress Test-20, SPST–20 and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form X-1 by Spielberger. The data was analyzed by using frequency and mean standard deviation. Results: The findings of this study revealed that the stress level and the anxiety level in experimental group decreased in 4 cases (40 %) and 2 cases (20 %), respectively. Whereas in control group, the stress level and the anxiety level decreased in 1 case (10 % )and 3 cases (30 %), respectively. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that participation in self-help group could reduce the stress and anxiety of breast cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.