Bridge et al

• Aim


  See whether stress could be reduced in patients who had been diagnosed with early breast cancer and being treated in radiotherapy.

  See whether patients who received either of the relaxation treatments would show a more positive effect on their mood states
• Hypothesis


  Hypothesises that the women who recieved relxation trianing with an imagery component would show more change than the women given relaxtion training alone.
• Methodology

  Randomised control trial

  Three conditions
• Questionnaires

  Leeds General Scale for the Self-Assessment of Depression and Anxiety

  The Profile of Mood States Questionnaire
• Sample

  139 women

  Opportunity sample

  Women treated by either mastectomy or lumpectomy

  Attending 6 week outpatients' course of radiotherapy in UK.

  All could understand 53 and under age of 70
• Procedure

  1. Informed the study was being carried out to investigate ways of reducing caress during radiotherapy.

  2. Researchers ensured that participants knew that non-participants would have no effect on their course of radiotherapy.

  3. The Profile of Mood States and The Leeds General Scales Questionnaire at the start of study and at the end

  4. All participants were seen individually by one of the 2 researchers once a week during 6 week study.

  5. Allocated to 3 conditions: control, relaxation, relaxation + imagery

  6. Relaxation and relaxation + imagery = taught relaxation techniques like diaphragmatic breathing and relaxing muscles.

  7. Relaxation + imagery taught to imagine a peaceful scene.

  8. Sessions lasted 30 minutes

  9. In control group women just told to talk about themselves

  10. Relaxation and relaxation + imagery given audio tapes which repeated relaxation technique instructions. Asked to practice for a minimum of 15 minutes per day. Lasted approximately 30 minutes
• Results

  1. Divided women into two groups: younger than 54 and older than 54.

  2. Relaxation and relaxation + imagery significantly lowered scores for older women on measures of depression, tension and total mood disturbance compared to the control group.

  3. Relaxation and imagery showed the greatest effect
• Conclusions

  Relaxation combined with imagery is effective at reducing mood disturbances

  Mood disturbances worsen with no intervention

  Treatments likely to be more effective for older women as they have more time to focus on interventions.
• Strength


  Standardised procedures; taught relaxation techniques in same way. Increases validity of the conclusions
• Weakness


  Dependant measures through self reports, social desirable answers, low validity
• Ethics

  Consent given

  Fully briefed

  Not be penalised if didnt want to take part and would not affect their treatment

  Confidentiality remained
• Applications to the real world

  Relaxation techniques reduce tension and depression in women over 54. Target older woman
• Determinism vs free will

  Shows free will to help manage low mood during cancer treatment, mental wellbeing does not need to be determined by the treatments people are receiving.