The efficacy of group cognitive behavioural therapy in improving adaptive cognitive emotion regulation in Nigerian breast cancer patients

The burden of cancer and psychological distress resulting from cancer-related experiences may have an impact on women's cognitive emotion regulation. The study investigated the efficacy of a 12-week group cognitive behavioural therapy (GCBT) programme in enhancing adaptive cognitive emotion regulation (CER) in women with breast cancer at a tertiary healthcare institution in Nigeria. Thirty-one (31) women with breast cancer were randomly allocated to the treatment group (TG, N = 16) and a control group (CG, N = 15). The TG received a 12-week course of 90-min GCBT sessions, while the CG received a booklet containing information on cancer and how to deal with cancer. Assessments were carried out for both groups at the baseline (pretest), post-test and 2-month follow-up with the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analysed with the independent-samples t test and the chi-square test for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. The results showed that participants in the TG had a significant increase in adaptive CER and decrease in maladaptive CER compared with the CG both at post-treatment and at 2-month follow-up. Cognitive behavioural therapy is effective in the improvement of adaptive CER in women with breast cancer. The use of psychotherapy (such as CBT) as complementary treatment to standard oncology care in the management of breast cancer patients in Nigeria is therefore emphasised.