The Effectiveness of a Family-Based Intervention in Enhancing Emotional Self-Awareness and Meaning in Life Among Individuals With Cancer
Subject Areas :Farah lotfikashani 1 , sahar Moghadas 2
1 - Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch
2 - Dept of Clinical Psychology, Electronic Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: family-based intervention, emotional self-awareness, meaning in life, cancer.,
Abstract :
Given that cancer has wide-ranging consequences for patients’ mental health, emotional functioning, and meaning-making processes, effective psychological interventions that highlight the role of the family in the course of treatment have become increasingly important. In recent years, family-based approaches have been introduced as supportive and synergistic interventions that may improve emotional and existential adaptation among individuals living with chronic illnesses. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a family-based intervention in increasing emotional self-awareness and meaning in life among individuals with cancer. The study used a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest and follow-up, including experimental and control groups. The statistical population consisted of the primary caregivers of individuals with cancer in Karaj in 2024 who were aware of the diagnosis and were undergoing treatment. To determine the sample size, 32 caregivers were purposively and conveniently selected and then randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 16) and a control group (n = 16). The experimental group completed the pretest and then received the family-based intervention; afterward, they completed the posttest. The control group also completed the pretest and, without receiving any intervention, completed the posttest at the end of the training period. A 4-month follow-up assessment was conducted for both groups. The study instruments included the Meaning in Life Questionnaire developed by Steger et al. and the Emotional Self-Awareness Questionnaire developed by Grant, Franklin, and Langford. The results of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that the family-based intervention produced a significant effect on increasing meaning in life and emotional self-awareness among individuals with breast cancer. In addition, the findings showed that the effect size for meaning in life at posttest was greater than that for emotional self-awareness. Overall, it can be concluded that the family-based intervention was significantly effective in enhancing emotional self-awareness and meaning in life among individuals with cancer.
