effects of relaxation on reducing depression, anxiety and stress in women who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies among Iranian women. These patients suffer from a wide range of physical and mental [depression, anxiety and stress] signs and symptoms during the diagnostic and therapeutic processes. Despite the improvement in survival rates due to advances in medical care, different types of psychosocial interventions are still growingly needed considering the increasing number of cancer patients with longer survival times. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of relaxation on depression, anxiety and stress in women who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer. This clinical trial was conducted during about 4.5 months in a referral chemotherapy clinic of a teaching hospital in Isfahan, Iran. The participants consisted of 48 breast cancer patients who were selected by simple random sampling. They were randomly assigned into two groups of control and case. The control group was treated only by usual medical therapy, whereas the case group was treated by combined medical-relaxation therapy. Data collection tools were the validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale [DASS42] and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS using descriptive statistics, repeated measures analysis of variance [ANOVA], chi-square test and paired t-test. The baseline mean scores of depression, anxiety and stress were not significantly different between the case and control groups. However, the scores in the case group improved significantly after the treatment [p < 0.05]. On the contrary, such improvement was not seen in the control group. Relaxation therapy can be effective in the improvement of depression, anxiety and stress. Therefore, it can be recommended as an effective care program in patients with malignant disorders.

Effectiveness of massage therapy on the mood of patients after open-heart surgery

Cardiovascular diseases have the highest death rates in human society. Coronary artery disease is among the most important of these diseases. No treatment of cardiovascular disease has as much impact on the quality of life of the patients as the heart surgery. The recovery from heart surgery is associated with symptoms of pain and psychological distress. In the early recovery period, the patients will face moderate symptoms of anxiety and depression. In this regard, various measures of nursing, as complementary therapy practices have been performed to help the patients for overcoming the physical and psychological needs. One of these methods, in recent years has been the use of complementary and alternative therapies, particularly massage therapy, after heart surgery. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of massage therapy on the mood of patients after open-heart surgery in Isfahan Chamran Hospital during 2010-11. In this study 72 patients, who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, were selected. They were randomly assigned to the two case and control groups. The patients of the case group [n = 36] received Swedish massage for 20 minutes in 4 sessions in 4 consecutive days, 3 to 6 days after the open-heart surgery. The patients in the control group received only the routine care. The mood questionnaire [POMS] which was used in this study has been completed the day before the start of the study and intervention and again after the last day of the intervention. SPSS software version 12 and descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used for data analysis. The comparison of study results showed that massage decreased the overall rating of the patients' mood after the surgery. The use of massage therapy as an effective nursing intervention can improve the patients' mood after openheart surgery. Due to the low cost and simplicity of this method, it can perhaps be used as a complement to drug therapy and postoperative interventions used in these patients.

[Life skills training and prevention of addiction [Isfahan -2003]]

Introduction: Addiction is a descriptive and overthrowing phenomen on which causes crime victim. As prevention is prior to treatment, planning of educational courses to acquire first level prevention of addiction is necessary. This study tried to evaluatie life skills education effectiveness on addiction prevention

Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental research covering 41 subjects from adolescents [20] and the parents [21] in Isfahan. Sampling was done by random method after informing. We planned eight educational workshops for the adolescents and parents in summer 2002. Data collection was done before and after education by three different questionnaires [knowledge of parents and the adolescents and probability of tendency to addiction] which were filled out by subjects before and after the course. Data were analyzed with T. square test by SPSS software

Results: Findings showed mean scores of post test was higher than mean scores of pretest in adolescents and parents. Comparison of pretest and post-test scores showed a significant difference in all three groups [P<0.05]. So, Life skills education affected knowledge and probability of tendency to addiction in parents and the adolescents

Discussion: Life skills education program showed an effect on parents and adolescents' knowledge and decreased the tendency to addiction in adolescents group. The role of teachers and professores in schools and university to conduct consulting and education of addiction prevention is important