Comparison of the Effectiveness of Bioenergy Economy, Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Pain Management in Women with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of three therapeutic approaches—Bioenergy Economy (BEE), Cognitive-Behavioral Hypnotherapy (CBH), and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)—in improving pain management in women with non-metastatic breast cancer. This randomized clinical trial was conducted in Isfahan during the summer and autumn of 2025 on 72 women diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer, who were randomly assigned to BEE, CBH, CBT, and control groups. The interventions included ten weekly CBT and CBH sessions and eight weekly BEE sessions delivered by trained clinical psychologists. Data were collected using the Pain Management Strategies Questionnaire (PMSQ) administered at pretest, posttest, and two-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Results showed a significant main effect of time on pain management scores (F(1.02, 68.78)=37.51, p=.001, ηp²=.359) and a significant time × group interaction (F(3.08, 68.78)=4.98, p=.003, ηp²=.183), while the main effect of group was not statistically significant (p=.077). Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons revealed that only the CBT group showed a significant improvement in pain management at follow-up compared to the control group (p=.030), whereas BEE and CBH groups showed no significant differences from the control group. This study demonstrated that CBT can be effective in improving pain management among women with non-metastatic breast cancer, while BEE and CBH showed no such effects. These findings suggest CBT as a promising approach for pain management in palliative care, though further studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these results.