Journal of Applied Psychological Research

The Effectiveness of Spiritual Self-Care Training on Post-Traumatic Growth, Distress Tolerance, and Cognitive Fusion in Women with Breast Cancer

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran

3 Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Behshahr Branch, Behshahr, Iran.

4 Department of Positive Islamic Psychology, Payame Noor University, Behshahr Branch, Behshahr, Iran.

5 Department of Clinical Psychology, Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Spiritual Self-Care Training (SSCT) on posttraumatic growth (PTG), distress tolerance, and cognitive fusion in women diagnosed with breast cancer. A pretest-posttest control group design was implemented in this quasi-experimental investigation. The statistical population encompassed women who were referred to cancer treatment and support centers in Tehran in 2024. A total of 34 women were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups through purposive sampling. Before and after the intervention, participants completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), and the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ). However, the control group did not receive any intervention, whereas the experimental group was administered six 90-minute sessions of SSCT. SPSS-27 was employed to conduct multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) on the data. The results indicated that SSCT significantly enhanced posttraumatic growth and distress tolerance, while simultaneously significantly reducing cognitive fusion in the experimental group (P < 0.001). These findings suggest that spiritual self-care training can serve as an effective and complementary intervention alongside psychological therapies to foster resilience, promote posttraumatic psychological growth, and reduce cognitive entanglement in women with breast cancer.

Keywords

پورکمالی، ط. (۱۴۰۳). اثربخشی درمان شناختی مبتنی بر ذهن‌آگاهی بر انعطاف‌پذیری کنشی و همجوشی شناختی مبتلایان به سندرم رودۀ تحریک‌پذیر. فصل‌نامه پژوهش‌های کاربردی روانشناختی، ۱۵(۱)، ۲۲۲–۲۰۷. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2023.336138.644145
زادافشار، س.، خردمند، م.، کاظمیان، ح.، و اکرمی، ن. (۱۴۰۱). پیش‌بینی استرس تروماتیک کرونا و رشد پس از آسیب در پرستاران بخش مراقبت بیماران کرونایی براساس حمایت اجتماعی ادراک‌شده: نقش میانجی شفقت خود و تنظیم شناختی هیجان. فصل‌نامه پژوهش‌های کاربردی روان‌شناختی، ۱۳(۳)، ۳41–327. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2022.325602.643869
محمودپور، ع.، شریعتمدار، آ.، برجعلی، ا.، و شفیع‌آبادی، ع. (۱۴۰۰). ویژگی‌های روان‌سنجی مقیاس تحمل پریشانی (سیمونز و گاهر، ۲۰۰۵) در سالمندان. فصلنامه اندازه‌گیری تربیتی، ۱۲(۴۶)، ۶۴–۴۹.https://doi.org/10.22054/jem.2022.65915.3341
میرزایی، س.، بکماز کاروان، م.، رسولی، ع.، و شمسی، ا. (۱۴۰۱). تأثیر آموزش خودمراقبتی معنوی بر تاب‌آوری پرستاران شاغل در بخش‌های مراقبت‌های ویژه کووید-۱۹. فصلنامه طب مکمل، ۱۲(۲)، ۲۰۱–۱۸۸. http://cmja.arakmu.ac.ir/article-1-880-fa.html
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Journal of Applied Psychological Research
Volume 17, Issue 2
July 2026
Pages 95-110
  • Receive Date: 04 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 15 July 2025
  • Accept Date: 05 August 2025
  • First Publish Date: 22 September 2025
  • Publish Date: 01 July 2026