Effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in women with breast cancer with depression and/or anxiety: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is considered the most common and leading cause of death in women worldwide, affecting quality of life and mental health, with depression and anxiety being common mental disorders. The systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in the management of depression and/or anxiety in women with breast cancer. M ethods: It was conducted a systematic review of clinical trials of patients diagnosed with breast cancer who had depression and/or anxiety and had received psychological intervention, especially Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), comparing the effectiveness of CBT with pharmacological therapy and/or psychological therapies other than CBT. Results: We included 11 studies with 735 participants from four continents: Asia, Europe, North America, and Latin America; most of the interventions were conducted with group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, showing greater effectiveness for managing depression and anxiety in women with cancer than other psychological therapies. Conclusions: Group CBT generates significant changes with medium to large effect sizes, showing reductions in depression and anxiety symptomatology in women with breast cancer.