Cognitive-existential group therapy for parents of children with cancer

ABSTRACT

This study used a quasi-experimental method in the pretest-posttest to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive-existential group therapy on hopefulness in parents of children with cancer. Thirty parents [24 to 54 years old] of children with cancer were divided randomly into experimental and control groups. Both groups were assessed with Miller Hope Scale [1988], as pre-test. The experimental group received cognitive-existential group therapy in 12 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes [2 sessions per week], but no psychological intervention was applied to the control group. At the end of the intervention, both groups were reassessed through post-test. Data were analyzed by SPSS through analysis of covariance. Significant differences in hopefulness between the two groups [p<0.01] were observed in favor of the experimental group. Cognitive-existential group therapy can be effective in increasing hopefulness in parents of children with cancer