The effect of mindfulness-based self-care empowerment training on depression of breast cancer patients’ spouses and their family functioning

Context: Although spouses play the main role as caregivers, few intervention studies have been performed on the psychological health of breast cancer patients’ spouses.

Aims: To determine Mindful‑Centered Self‑care Empowerment Training Program (MScETP) influencing the breast cancer patients’ spouses’ depression and their family functioning.

Setting and Design: A quasi‑experimental study with one‑group pre-and post-test design.

Material and Methods: The sample included 46 randomly selected cancer patients’ spouses meeting the inclusion criteria, referring to the specialized clinics of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran. Firstly, the pretest was conducted and then the posttest was done a week following the intervention. Data collection was done by Beck Depression Inventory-II and Family Assessment Device-60 Questionnaire before and after implementing the MScETP.

Statistical Analysis: by ANOVA and dependent t-test by SPSS-22 at significance level as P < 0.05.

Results: The results reported the pre‑ and post-intervention mean (±SD) of the spouses’ depression as 15.65 (±6.79) and 12.95 (±4.99), respectively. The mean (± SD) of six FAD subscales was calculated as it follows: problem‑solving 2.30 (±0.33) and 2.15 (±0.29), communication 2.33 (±0.29) and2.27 (±0.19), roles 2.21 (±0.23) and2.31 (±0.19), affective responsiveness2.08(±0.32) and2.28(±0.32), affective involvement2.62 (±0.40) and 2.27 (±0.29), and behavior control 2.60 (±0.31) and 2.33 (±0.27), and General Functioning Scale 2.35 (±0.27) and 2.11 (±0.23) (P < 0.05). As the findings showed, the training significantly affected the breast cancer sufferers’ spouses’ depression and their family functioning (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The study findings revealed MScETP meaningfully reduced the breast cancer patients’ spouses’ depression and improved their family functioning.