Effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on self-disclosure, coping style and post-traumatic growth of patients with ovarian cancer receiving chemotherapy after surgery

Tingting CHU; Guiqi SONG; Deyu ZHAO; Lihua ZHOU

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To explorethe effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on self-disclosure, coping style and post-traumatic growth in patients with ovarian cancer undergoing chemotherapy after surgery.

Methods:

A total of 84 patients with ovarian cancer undergoing chemotherapy after surgery were recruited from the gynecology ward of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China for randomized controlled trial, from February 2022 to October 2022. All participants were divided into the intervention group and the control group with 42 patients in each group by random number table method. The patients in control group received routine care. The intervention group was given acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the basis of the control group and intervened for three cycles of chemotherapy. The scores of Distress Disclosure Index (DDI), Cancer Coping Modes Questionnaire (CCMQ), and Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were compared between the two groups before and after intervention.

Results:

There was no significant difference in the scores of DDI, CCMQ and PTGI between the two groups before intervention ( P>0.05). After intervention, DDI scorein intervention group was (38.81 ± 5.96) points, significantly higher than that in control group (34.43 ± 4.79) points, the difference was statistically significant ( t = 3.71, P<0.01). In terms of coping styles, after intervention, the scores of five dimensions of fantasy, resignation, avoidance, catharsis and confrontation were 6.00(6.00, 8.00), 9.00(8.00, 12.00), 9.00(8.75, 11.00), 7.00(6.00, 8.00) and 20.00(16.00, 21.00) points in the invention group, compared with the control group of 8.00(7.75, 9.00), 11.00(9.75, 13.00), 11.00(9.00, 13.00), 9.00(8.00, 12.00) and 16.00(13.00, 18.50) points, the differences were statistically significant ( Z = 2.86 to 5.11, all P<0.01). The total PTGI score in intervention group was (71.43 ± 8.68) points, significantly higher than that in control group(63.98 ± 6.92) points, the difference was statistically significant ( t = 4.35, P<0.01).

Conclusions:

ACT can increase self-disclosure, enhance positive coping, and promote post-traumatic growth in ovarian cancer patientsundergoing chemotherapy after surgery.