Volume 13, Issue 3 (September 2026)                   Health Spiritual Med Ethics 2026, 13(3): 195-202 | Back to browse issues page

Ethics code: IR.SSU.REC.1398.056

XML Persian Abstract Print

Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Motevalli Z, Rezapour-Mirsaleh Y, Aryanpour H. The Effect of Ontology-based Existential Therapy on Hope and Coping Styles in Mothers of Children With Cancer: A Single Case Baseline Study. Health Spiritual Med Ethics 2026; 13 (3) :195-202
URL: http://jhsme.muq.ac.ir/article-1-656-en.html
The Effect of Ontology-based Existential Therapy on Hope and Coping Styles in Mothers of Children With Cancer: A Single Case Baseline Study
Zahra Motevalli1 , Yasser Rezapour-Mirsaleh *2 , Hamidreza Aryanpour3
1- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran.
2- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran., Ayatallah Khatami Blv., Ardakan, Yazd, Iran. P.O. Box184 , y.rezapour@ardakan.ac.ir
3- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ardakan University, Ardakan, Iran., Ayatallah Khatami Blv., Ardakan, Yazd, Iran. P.O. Box184
Abstract:   (914 Views)

Background and Objectives: The diagnosis of cancer in a child has numerous adverse psychological consequences for the family, particularly for mothers. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the effect of ontology-based existential therapy on hope and coping styles among mothers of children with cancer.

Methods: Based on a single-case design, two mothers of children with blood cancer who presented to the Mahak Institute for Supporting Children with Cancer were selected through convenience sampling and received eight sessions of ontology-based existential therapy. Snyder’s hope scale and Lazarus’s coping styles questionnaire were administered during the baseline, intervention, and follow-up phases. Data were analyzed using graphical analysis, the Reliable Change Index, and percentage improvement.

Results: Changes in scores during the intervention phase compared with baseline indicated that ontology-based existential therapy significantly increased hope (with overall improvement percentages of 172% post-intervention and 170% at follow-up), promoted the use of problem-focused coping styles (overall improvement of 168% post-intervention and 212% at follow-up), and reduced the use of emotion-focused coping styles (38% reduction post-intervention and 35% at follow-up). The Reliable Change Index for hope and problem-focused coping exceeded 2.58 (P<0.01), and for emotion-focused coping exceeded 1.96 (P<0.05), confirming statistically significant changes that were maintained at one-month follow-up.

Conclusion: Overall, the findings suggest that ontology-based existential therapy can enhance hope and promote adaptive coping styles in mothers of children with cancer, supporting the need for essential psychological interventions for patients and their caregivers.

Keywords: Existentialism, Hope, Coping skills, Neoplasms
Full-Text [PDF 1159 kb]   (196 Downloads) |   |   Full-Text (HTML)  (61 Views)  
Type of Study: Original Article | Subject: General
Received: 2025/10/1 | Accepted: 2025/12/23 | Published: 2026/05/31
References
1. Wang M, Bi Y, Fan Y, Fu X, Jin Y. Global incidence of childhood cancer by subtype in 2022: A population-based registry study. EClinicalMedicine. 2025; 89:103571. [DOI:10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103571] [PMID] [PMCID] [DOI:10.1016/j.eclinm.2025.103571]
2. Jorjani G, Roshandel G, Taherian MR, Mirbehbahani N, Moaddabshoar L, Ahmadi A, et al. Epidemiology and geographical patterns of common childhood cancers in Iran: Evidence from the National Cancer Registry. Cancer Epidemiol. 2024; 93:102685. [DOI:10.1016/j.canep.2024.102685] [PMID] [DOI:10.1016/j.canep.2024.102685]
3. Cousino MK, Hazen RA. Parenting stress among caregivers of children with chronic illness: a systematic review. J Pediatr Psychol. 2013; 38(8):809-28. [DOI:10.1093/jpepsy/jst049] [PMID] [DOI:10.1093/jpepsy/jst049]
4. Jones BL. The challenge of quality care for family caregivers in pediatric cancer care. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2012; 28(4):213-20. [DOI:10.1016/j.soncn.2012.09.003] [PMID] [DOI:10.1016/j.soncn.2012.09.003]
5. Folkman S. Stress: Appraisal and coping. In: Gellman MD, Turner JR, editors. Encyclopedia of behavioral medicine. 1th ed. New York: Springer; 2013. [DOI:10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_215] [DOI:10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_215]
6. Snyder CR, Harris C, Anderson JR, Holleran SA, Irving LM, Sigmon ST, et al. The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991; 60(4):570-85. [DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.60.4.570] [PMID] [DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.60.4.570]
7. Feldman DB, Corn BW. Hope and cancer. Curr Opin Psychol. 2023; 49:101506. [DOI:10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101506] [PMID] [DOI:10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101506]
8. Yalom ID. Existential psychotherapy. London: Hachette UK; 2020. [Link]
9. Motevalli Meydanshah Z. [Role of ontological viewpoints on the hope of mothers with cancerous children based on a qualitative study: providing an interventional model (Persian)] [MA thesis]. Ardakan: Ardakan University; 2019. [Link]
10. Kermani Z, Khodapanahi MK, Heidari M. [Psychometric properties of the Snyder Hope Scale (Persian)]. Appl Psychol. 2011; 5(4):7-23. [Link]
11. Brouwer D, Meijer RR, Weekers AM, Baneke JJ. On the dimensionality of the Dispositional Hope Scale. Psychol Assess. 2008; 20(3):310-5. [DOI:10.1037/1040-3590.20.3.310] [PMID] [DOI:10.1037/1040-3590.20.3.310]
12. Folkman S, Lazarus RS. If it changes it must be a process: Study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985; 48(1):150-70. [DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.48.1.150] [PMID] [DOI:10.1037/0022-3514.48.1.150]
13. Ogles BM, Lunnen KM, Bonesteel K. Clinical significance: History, application, and current practice. Clin Psychol Rev. 2001; 21(3):421-46. [DOI:10.1016/S0272-7358(99)00058-6] [PMID] [DOI:10.1016/S0272-7358(99)00058-6]
14. Arifian M, Asgari Mobarakeh K. [Design, validation, and effectiveness of a pain management program on pain and quality of life in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (Persian)]. J Community Health. 2024; 17(4):58-71. [Link]
15. Snyder CR, Ilardi SS, Cheavens J, Michael ST, Yamhure L, Sympson S. The role of hope in cognitive-behavior therapies. Cognit Ther Res. 2000; 24:747-62. [DOI:10.1023/A:1005547730153] [DOI:10.1023/A:1005547730153]
16. Heydari M, Hajiheydari A, Roozitalab M, Rohani A. The effectiveness of resilience training on anxiety, depression, stress, life expectancy and psychological well-being of women with breast cancer. Rev Latinoam Hipertens. 2022; 17(5):307-13. [Link]
17. Teixeira RJ, Applebaum AJ, Bhatia S, Brandão T. The impact of coping strategies of cancer caregivers on psychophysiological outcomes: An integrative review. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018; 11:207-15. [DOI:10.2147/PRBM.S164946] [PMID] [PMCID] [DOI:10.2147/PRBM.S164946]
18. Somerfield MR, McCrae RR. Stress and coping research: Methodological challenges, theoretical advances, and clinical applications. Am Psychol. 2000; 55(6):620-5. [PMID] [DOI:10.1037/0003-066X.55.6.620]
19. Spiropoulos A, Deleemans J, Beattie S, Carlson LE. Mothers with cancer: An intersectional mixed-methods study investigating role demands and perceived coping abilities. Cancers. 2023; 15(6):1915. [DOI:10.3390/cancers15061915] [PMID] [PMCID] [DOI:10.3390/cancers15061915]
Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:
CAPTCHA
Send email to the article author

Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2026 CC BY-NC 4.0 | Health, Spirituality and Medical Ethics

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb