Effects of cognitive behavioral time-limited individual therapy on anxiety, depressive symptoms and cancer coping skills in women initially diagnosed with cancer

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive behavioral short-term individual therapy in women newly diagnosed with various cancers. Ten women with various cancers were referred from physicians located in a large metropolitan area. Each woman who met the study criteria was randomly assigned to either the Experimental (C.B.T/APT time-limited individual therapy sessions) or Wait-List Control group (no treatment). The criterion instruments were: (a) Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale ( HAD, Zigmond & Snaith, 1983), and (b) Cancer Coping Questionnaire (CCQ, Moorey, Frampton & Greer, 2003).;Following completion of two sessions, the five participants assigned to the Experimental Group received two follow-up telephone calls to encourage participants to use the coping strategies and to ascertain their present condition. At the conclusion of the third intervention session, the criterion instruments were re-administered to the Experimental Group to determine the treatment effects on the dependent variables, anxiety, depression and coping strategies. The five participants assigned to the Wait-List Control group did not receive any treatment. The researcher met with each participant assigned to the Wait-List Control Group to obtain the signed informed consent form, demographic form and criterion instruments. These instruments were re-administered at the end of the 4th week either by return mail or in person. The statistical power consideration based on the sample size limitation ( n = 5 per group) required implementing nonparametric exact tests (Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon W Tests) rather than asymptotic parametric tests. The findings supported all three research hypotheses. A statistically significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms and an increase in cancer coping skills in women initially diagnosed with cancer receiving treatment as compared to the participants who received no treatment.