Abstract

The purpose of our study is to reduce the distress and improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients and caregivers. A short-term psychological counseling program was developed to evaluate the effectiveness and practicability through a pilot study. In response, a three-session psychological counseling program(‘Better Together’) was developed and a pilot study was conducted in breast cancer patients and caregivers under treatment. Pre, post, and 1month follow-up assessments were measured to evaluate the changes in the level of depression, distress, quality of life, marital intimacy of the patients and care givers, the care burden of the caregiver, and the patient social support. The satisfaction assessment and subjective reports of the program validated the usefulness of the program. During the recruitment period, the participation rate of the program was 8.7% and four couples who completed the program were analyzed. As a result, depression levels were significantly decreased and quality of life was increased in patients with a large level of effect size(d=-1.23–3.45). Both the patient and caregiver reported an increase in marital intimacy. While the caregivers’ care for patients was increased, depression and distress did not show any increase. Based on these results, we discussed the usability of the ‘Better Together’ program in clinical settings and its implications for further research.