Counseling Women With Breast Cancer Using Principles Developed by Albert Bandura

PROBLEM: Although researchers suggest treatments that provide patients with an active coping strategy may increase patients' sense of self-efficacy, previous studies have not measured patients' self-efficacy. METHODS: Eighteen women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer were randomized to efficacy-enhancing experimental (n = 10) and usual-care control (n = 8) groups. The experimental group received five interventions delivered monthly. Variables--quality of life, symptom distress, and self-care self-efficacy--were measured at baseline and at 4 and 8 months later. FINDINGS: At 4 and 8 months the interaction effects for the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Breast, used to measure quality of life, ranged from small for functional concerns to large for social concerns. Interaction effects for symptom distress, measured by the Symptom Distress Scale, were large. Interaction effects for self-care self-efficacy ranged from small for Enjoying Life and Stress Reduction, medium for Stress Reduction, and large for Making Decisions. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to promote self-efficacy may increase quality of life and decrease distress for women diagnosed with breast cancer.