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Ever
since the 1980s, Attivecomeprima, helped also by the funds of
the Italian Ministry of Health, has conducted surveys, studies
and researches to organise and evaluate its work. For this purpose
it also collaborates with universities, research centres and scholars
in various fields.
Attention to quality of life as a factor of psychophysical well-being
was the basis of the organisation's collaboration in the "Project
Diana" (prevention of breast cancer through nutrition). The
research was conducted at Attivecomeprima headquarters in 1996,
promoted and coordinated by the Direction of the Epidemiology
Division of the Istituto dei Tumori of Milan.
Consistently with its aims, the organisation is currently collaborating
in an important national research project commissioned by Ortho
Biotech, a company of the Johnson & Johnson Group at Cergas,
Bocconi University of Milan. The project is focused on fatigue,
a syndrome associated with cancer and cancer therapies that is
common to many people and often underestimated.
Characterised by a vague feeling of bodily discomfort and loss
of energy, fatigue is considered in numerous cases to be the number
one obstacle to a normal lifestyle and the chief cause of deteriorating
quality of life.
Study
Report
Attivecomeprima’s
commitment to ensure high quality standards for its services has
resulted in the creation of a well defined pattern of emotional
support for the women affected by breast cancer who refer to our
organisation. Based on a unique methodology, it provides for the
use of tailor-made instruments that are continuously monitored
for effectiveness.
We used the emotional conditions (i.e., depression, feeling of
guilt and passive trends) we had recorded before and after women’s
participation in our groups for many years, to complete a study
(started in 1998) aimed at valuating the effectiveness of our
three psychological support groups, i.e.,
“Replanning One’s Life” (Group I),
“Deciding To Live” (Group II),
and “Affection Therapy” (Group III).
Our objective was to evidence any changes in the following:
• Depression
• Emotional fragility
• Defence mechanisms
Notes:
test (1): Values recorded at the beginning of Group I-Replanning
One’s Life
retest (2): Values recorded at the end of Group II-Deciding to
Live
rrtda (3): Values recorded among women who participated in Group
III-Affection
Therapy
rrntda (4): Values recorded among women who did not participate
in Group III-
Affection Therapy
April
2003
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For
the study, we used the information obtained from a sample of 100
women of various physical conditions, who participated once a
week in groups of 6-8 women, for 16 weeks (Group I and II) and
of 8-12, for 9 months (Group III).
Three tests were used to measure the following:
• CDQ - Ipat Depression Scale, by S. Krug and J. Laughlin
• Emotional Fragility Scale, by Caprara, Perugini et all.
• DMI – Defence Mechanism Inventory, by D. Ihilevich
and G.C. Gleser
We carried out the tests at the beginning of Group I, at the end
of Group II and at the end of Group III, respectively. Testing
of Group I through Group III took about 2 years.
Conclusions
The psychological support groups studied help to lower the high
levels of depression (-24.36% at rrtda (3)) and emotional
fragility (-33.13% at rrtda (3)) recorded at the beginning
of group work.
They also help women change their aggressive trend and
find an equilibrium for it.
In fact women show an attitude to blame themselves, on one side,
and to inhibit their conscious self, on the other, at the beginning
of group work. Whereas they show a major ability to establish
harmonic relations with themselves and with the others at the
end of it.
We believe these results are important and encouraging as they
confirm the psychological support groups studied are effective
in strengthening women’s defence mechanisms, thus increasing
their protections against disease-correlated depression and emotional
fragility.
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