Effectiveness of Nursing Counseling on Reliefs Psychological Burdens upon women after Mastectomy

Abstract

Objective: To identify the effectiveness of nursing counseling on psychological burdens on women after mastectomy. 

Methodology: A quasi-experimental design (one group pretest-posttest design) was conducted on non-probability (purposive) sample of thirty women who had received a mastectomy as an intervention group selected during period in 2^nd August to 10^th November 2011. The study was conducted at three hospitals in Baghdad city which considered the main settings to providing health care for the patients with all types of cancer. Baseline data collection (pre test), post-test 1and post-test 2 and application of the nursing counseling on psychological burdens after mastectomy. The questionnaire form is consisted of two parts which included demographic and reproductive characteristics and psychological burdens after mastectomy. Content validity and reliability of the questionnaire determined through a pilot study, descriptive and inferential statistic is used to analyze the data. The psychological burdens measured by the scale developed by the researcher according to the literature review.

Results: Results of the study showed that the highest of study sample 36.7 % were in age group (50-60) years old, the highest mean of score related to the psychological burdens were refer to the focus and attention, depression, negative feels, anxiety, thinking, and finally followed by positive feels, was found significant differences between pre and post test related to psychological burdens at standard error P ≤ 0.01.

Recommendation: The study recommends establishing the counseling center in the breast cancer clinics to providing the psychological support and advices for women. The counseling program should be based in treatment program to reduce the burdens and symptoms of cancer and improving the quality of life.