Effect of Psychoeducation to Spouses on Psychological Needs of Womens with Breast Cancer: a Clinical Trial

Background and Objectives: Patients with breast cancer have many pshychological needs. The spouses are main resources for meeting the psychological needs of the patients. The aim of present study was to assess the effects of psychoeducation to spouses on psychological needs of women with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In this randomised clinical trial, 94 couples were recruited to the study from Tabriz support group for breast cancer patients. The couples were randomly allocated to experimental (47 couples) and control (47 couples) groups. After the baseline measurements, three educational sessions were held for men on psychological needs of their spouses with breast cancer in the experimental group. One month later, all women were asked to complete the 22-items psychological subscale of the Supportive Care Needs Survey instrument. The validity and reliability of the instrument was assessed using content validity, and test-retest reliability. Data were analyzed using paired and independent samples t tests. Results: Data from 27 women in the experimental group and 28 women in the control group were collected. The mean of scale in the experimental group was significantly more than control group (p=0.010). Conclusion: Although the psychological needs of patients with breast cancer were decreased via the intervention in our study, further studies are recommended.