The Effect of Uncertainty Tolerance Couples Consultation Program on Mental Adjustment to Cancer in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Control Trial

The aim of the study was to realize the effect of a couple's counselling program on uncertainty tolerance on mental adjustment in breast cancer survivors in a randomized control trial.

Ninety breast cancer survivors were selected by convenience sampling and then randomly divided equally into two groups: the uncertainty tolerance couple counselling program (UTCCP) intervention group and the routine cancer center care (RCCC) control group in a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Data collection tools consisted of a demographic questionnaire and the Mini-MAC (Mental Adjustment to Cancer) questionnaire, which has 5 subscales. In the pre-test phase, participants in both groups completed the scales before the intervention. Participants in the intervention group took part in a 6-week group counselling program, which consisted of six counselling and task sessions related to the uncertainty tolerance program. Study variables were compared between the intervention and control groups using independent samples t-test, Mann–Whitney U test or Chi-squared test with exact p-value, as appropriate. The significance level (p-value) was considered to be less than 0.05.

The change from pre- to post-intervention showed that the impact of the intervention was significant in decreasing hopelessness–helpless (− 5.42 ± 2.42 in intervention group VS − 0.13 ± 0.46 in control group, P < 0.001) and anxious preoccupation (− 6.80 ± 2.87 VS − 0.16 ± 0.82, P < 0.001). It was also significant in increasing fatalism (4.89 ± 2.09 VS 0.22 ± 1.24) and fighting spirit (3.58 ± 2.05 VS 0.11 ± 1.61). The effect of the intervention on changing the avoidance scale was not significant (P = 0.83).

Considering breast cancer as a stigma in the culture of the present study, couple-based intervention program on increasing uncertainty tolerance led to the creation of an intervention program as a facilitator to achieve mental adjustment in breast cancer survivors.

Trial registration number: IRCT20150125020778N21.

The date of registration: 13-12-2020