1037 – Impact of support groups based on positive psychology and coaching on psychosocial wellbeing in women with breast cancer: a quasiexperimental study

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment impair psychosocial well-being, affecting emotional health, body
image, and social relationships.
Objective: To evaluate whether a support group based on positive psychology and coaching promotes emotional coping
and well-being throughout the cancer journey.
Methods: A quasi-experimental time-series study was conducted at A.C. Camargo Cancer Center (ACCCC) in 2025 and
was Research Ethics Committee Approval (No. 7,871,464). A total of 78 women with breast cancer were included, with 37
allocated to the intervention group (IG) and 41 to the control group (CG), whose median ages were 48 and 44 years, respectively. The IG participated in a virtual support group based on positive psychology and coaching (90 hours over seven
months), which has been offered free of charge at ACCCC for the past two years. The CG received standard oncological
care. Data were collected at three time points for both groups: pre-intervention (M1), after four months (M2), and at the
end of the intervention (M3). Psychosocial well-being was assessed using the validated Breast-Q Psychosocial Well-Being
scale, which evaluates body image, self-esteem, and emotional well-being.
Results: In the IG, hormone therapy predominated (73.0%), followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (10.8%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (5.4%), and follow-up (10.8%). In the CG, 53.7% were receiving hormone therapy, 17.1% adjuvant chemotherapy, 12.2% neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 17.1% were in follow-up. Between M1 and M2, the CG showed a greater mean
increase in psychosocial well-being (+4.38) than the IG (+3.92). However, between M1 and M3, the CG demonstrated a
slight reduction (–0.24), whereas the IG showed a substantial increase of +9.05 points. Statistically significant differences
were observed over time, particularly in the IG (p<0.05), indicating a sustained effect of the intervention.
Conclusion: A support group based on positive psychology and coaching was associated with sustained improvement
in psychosocial well-being among women with breast cancer, compared to conventional care.
Ethics: Research Ethics Committee Approval (CAAE 87706525.1.0000.5432).