THERAPEUTIC OUTCOMES OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY-1 FOR INSOMNIA AMONG WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER: AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background: Cancer patients experience insomnia as a widespread issue that negatively impacts their quality of life. Both disease-related factors and treatment-related factors serve as triggers for insomnia symptoms. Research shows that cancer patients who experience persistent sleep disturbances develop worse health-related quality of life through negative impacts on their physical and psychological health.

Objective: The research aims to assess insomnia severity among breast cancer patients while evaluating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-I (CBT-I) as an insomnia treatment approach for this specific group.

Methodology: The research took place at the Oncology Department of Mayo Hospital in Lahore through a quasi-experimental study design. The research included breast cancer patients who were selected through purposive sampling to participate as n = 52 participants. The validated 7-item questionnaire was used to collect data from participants individually during their time in the oncology department between January 2025 and July 2025. The researchers used SPSS version 26 to analyze data that they entered into the system.

Results: The research data showed that most participants fell within the 41–50 years age range (51.9%) and were female (98.1%) and married (92.3%). The study showed that 34.6% of participants had primary education and 38.5% had completed matriculation. The intervention led to a significant reduction in mean rank insomnia scores from 87.12 before treatment to 33.88 after treatment. The post-intervention insomnia scores showed a statistically significant difference from the pre-intervention scores (p < 0.05), indicating that CBT-I was effective.

Conclusion: The research demonstrates that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-I (CBT-I) proves effective in treating insomnia among breast cancer patients.