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, p revious studies have not measured patients' self-efficacy. METHODS. Eighteen women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer were rando mized 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-ef ficacy-were measured at baseline and at 4 and 8 months later. FINDINGS. At 4 and 8 months the interaction effects for the Functional Asse ssment of Cancer Treatment-Breast, used to measure quality of life, ranged from small for functional concerns to large far social concerns. Interactio n effects for symptom distress, measured by the Symptom Distress Scale, wer e large. Interaction effects for self-care self-efficacy ranged from small for Enjoying Life and Stress Reduction, medium for Stress Reduction, and la rge for Making Decisions. CONCLUSIONS. Interventions to promote self-efficacy may increase quality of life and decrease distress for women diagnosed with breast cancer.