Effect of Solution-focused Counseling on Depression and Quality of Life in Women under Mastectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective: This study was conducted with the objective of determining whether solution-focused counseling reduces depression and increases the quality of life in breast cancer women. Methods: This study was a parallel randomized clinical trial on mastectomy women. A total of 100 volunteer participants completed the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) depression inventory and the WHO Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL- BREF) questionnaire. Fifty-six participants who scored less than the cut-off point in two questionnaires were randomly placed in two intervention and control groups. The participants in the intervention group received the solution-focused counseling method for six sessions (once a week). The control group received routine care. Then both groups filled out the questionnaires again. The results were analyzed by SPSS 22 using independent t-test, chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and ANOVA repeated measurement tests. Results: The results indicated that the post-intervention depression score in the intervention group decreased after adjusting the variables compared to the control group (p-value=0.001). Moreover, it was revealed that solution-focused counseling increased the post-intervention quality of life after adjusting variables compared to the control group (p=0.001). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that solution-focused counseling improved mood and quality of life. Therefore, it is necessary for midwives/nurses to provide counseling approaches for depression patients to help them pass the treatment process of cancer and have better psychological and physical health by improving their quality of life.