Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Recreational or Physical Exercise to Reduce Insomnia and Psychological Problem in Cancer Patient in Lahore

Abstract

With 2.1 million new cases reported annually, breast cancer remains a major global health concern and the most common and deadly disease in women. It is responsible for one out of every four cancer-related deaths in Pakistan, with an incidence rate that is more than 4.5 times higher than the next most common cancer. Between 1990 and 2019, the number of cases of breast cancer in Pakistan rose by more than 300%, and the death rate rose by 200–300% during the same time. The present study aimed to evaluate the synergistic effects of recreational physical exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on alleviating psychological distress and insomnia in breast cancer patients. Forty individuals (n=40) were divided equally into four groups: two experimental groups and two control groups for psychological issues and insomnia. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to see if sleep quality and mental health got better before and after the intervention. The experimental group's PSQI scores dropped from 17.50 to 9.20 (p<0.000), which means that their sleep quality got a lot better, and their PHQ-9 scores dropped from 13.30 to 6.20 (p<0.000), which means that their psychological distress got a lot better. Conversely, no significant enhancement was observed in the control groups (p=0.89 for sleep quality and p=0.87 for psychological distress). Furthermore, post-intervention analysis indicated that the experimental group significantly surpassed the control group (p<0.000). These findings, supported by additional research, indicate that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), when combined with leisure and physical activities, effectively enhances mental health and sleep quality, thereby promoting the overall well-being of breast cancer patients.