A trial reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry shows that group therapy including cognitive restructuring, relaxation training and coping skills can help reduce overall stress and cancer-related anxiety in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer.
One hundred ninety-nine women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past eight weeks were assigned either to a control group or a therapy group which underwent ten weeks of cognitive behavior stress management group therapy. Both groups were then followed for one year.
Results showed that the therapeutic intervention produced a notable reduction in anxiety, stress and cancer-related thoughts that continue even after the completion of medical treatment.