Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With Cancer

Background: After cancer diagnosis, death anxiety continuously challenges the patient’s life. Individuals diagnosed with cancer are forced to think of and confront the end of their lives. Accordingly, this study determines the effect of paradox therapy on the death anxiety of female patients with ca...

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Main Authors: Maryam Mardani, Mohammad Ali Besharat, Manijeh Firoozi, Tina Vosoughi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Iran University of Medical Sciences 2025-01-01
Series:Journal of Client-centered Nursing Care
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Online Access:http://jccnc.iums.ac.ir/article-1-637-en.pdf
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author Maryam Mardani
Mohammad Ali Besharat
Manijeh Firoozi
Tina Vosoughi
author_facet Maryam Mardani
Mohammad Ali Besharat
Manijeh Firoozi
Tina Vosoughi
author_sort Maryam Mardani
collection DOAJ
description Background: After cancer diagnosis, death anxiety continuously challenges the patient’s life. Individuals diagnosed with cancer are forced to think of and confront the end of their lives. Accordingly, this study determines the effect of paradox therapy on the death anxiety of female patients with cancer. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group design. The statistical population consisted of all female patients with cancer, referring to a specialized cancer treatment center in Ahvaz Province, Iran, from January 21 to February 19, 2023, who were first recruited by convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria and then were randomly assigned into experimental (n=26) and control (n=26) groups. The data were collected using the death anxiety scale. The experimental group received 6 sessions of individual, face-to-face paradox therapy. The duration of each session was 45 min. The dependent variable was assessed at three distinct time points: Initially at the pre-test phase, subsequently upon the conclusion of the psychotherapy intervention, and finally, one month following the termination of psychotherapy. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and to test the research hypothesis, mixed analysis of variance was used in the SPSS software, version 25. The significance level was set at P<0.05.  Results: A significant effect of time on death anxiety scores was observed (F=169.77, P<0.0001). Post hoc analysis revealed significant differences in the mean death anxiety scores across the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. A significant interaction between time and treatment group was also noted (F=153.58, P<0.0001). According to the Bonferroni test, the experimental group exhibited a significant reduction in death anxiety at the post-test compared to the pre-test (P<0.0001), and this reduction persisted at the follow-up stage (P<0.0001). Moreover, death anxiety continued to decrease from the post-test to the follow-up. These results supported the study hypothesis. Conclusion: By elevating our understanding of the effect of paradox therapy on death anxiety in cancer patients, the current research has tried to fill a major gap in psychosocial oncology. Perceiving the long-term effect of paradox therapy can lay the groundwork for following care plans and long-term support for cancer patients.
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spelling doaj-art-a4347f86ea5441078eb1d6a44c6d536f2025-01-02T10:09:45ZengIran University of Medical SciencesJournal of Client-centered Nursing Care2476-41242476-41322025-01-011117384Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With CancerMaryam Mardani0Mohammad Ali Besharat1Manijeh Firoozi2Tina Vosoughi3 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. Background: After cancer diagnosis, death anxiety continuously challenges the patient’s life. Individuals diagnosed with cancer are forced to think of and confront the end of their lives. Accordingly, this study determines the effect of paradox therapy on the death anxiety of female patients with cancer. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test control group design. The statistical population consisted of all female patients with cancer, referring to a specialized cancer treatment center in Ahvaz Province, Iran, from January 21 to February 19, 2023, who were first recruited by convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria and then were randomly assigned into experimental (n=26) and control (n=26) groups. The data were collected using the death anxiety scale. The experimental group received 6 sessions of individual, face-to-face paradox therapy. The duration of each session was 45 min. The dependent variable was assessed at three distinct time points: Initially at the pre-test phase, subsequently upon the conclusion of the psychotherapy intervention, and finally, one month following the termination of psychotherapy. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and to test the research hypothesis, mixed analysis of variance was used in the SPSS software, version 25. The significance level was set at P<0.05.  Results: A significant effect of time on death anxiety scores was observed (F=169.77, P<0.0001). Post hoc analysis revealed significant differences in the mean death anxiety scores across the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. A significant interaction between time and treatment group was also noted (F=153.58, P<0.0001). According to the Bonferroni test, the experimental group exhibited a significant reduction in death anxiety at the post-test compared to the pre-test (P<0.0001), and this reduction persisted at the follow-up stage (P<0.0001). Moreover, death anxiety continued to decrease from the post-test to the follow-up. These results supported the study hypothesis. Conclusion: By elevating our understanding of the effect of paradox therapy on death anxiety in cancer patients, the current research has tried to fill a major gap in psychosocial oncology. Perceiving the long-term effect of paradox therapy can lay the groundwork for following care plans and long-term support for cancer patients.http://jccnc.iums.ac.ir/article-1-637-en.pdfcancerdeath anxietyparadox therapyfemales
spellingShingle Maryam Mardani
Mohammad Ali Besharat
Manijeh Firoozi
Tina Vosoughi
Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With Cancer
Journal of Client-centered Nursing Care
cancer
death anxiety
paradox therapy
females
title Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With Cancer
title_full Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With Cancer
title_fullStr Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With Cancer
title_full_unstemmed Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With Cancer
title_short Investigating the Effectiveness of Paradox Therapy on Death Anxiety in Female Patients With Cancer
title_sort investigating the effectiveness of paradox therapy on death anxiety in female patients with cancer
topic cancer
death anxiety
paradox therapy
females
url http://jccnc.iums.ac.ir/article-1-637-en.pdf
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AT manijehfiroozi investigatingtheeffectivenessofparadoxtherapyondeathanxietyinfemalepatientswithcancer
AT tinavosoughi investigatingtheeffectivenessofparadoxtherapyondeathanxietyinfemalepatientswithcancer