Evaluating an Exergame-Enhanced Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Program Versus Therapy Alone and Usual Care for Depression and Anxiety in Breast Cancer Patients

What this Trial Is About

This trial investigates the effectiveness of an exergame-acceptance and commitment therapy e-ACT program in treating depression and anxiety among breast cancer patients. The study compares the combined e-ACT program with acceptance and commitment therapy ACT alone and treatment-as-usual to see if e-ACT better reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety, cancer-related fatigue, and biological markers such as IL-6, while improving brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF, posttraumatic growth, and quality of life. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups the e-ACT group receives an 8-week program including weekly ACT sessions plus three weekly exergame sessions the ACT group receives an 8-week standard ACT program with one weekly session and the control group continues treatment-as-usual with general psychological support for eight weeks. All sessions are held at fixed times and venues to ensure consistency. During the study, participants complete questionnaires assessing depression, anxiety, quality of life, posttraumatic growth, valued living, experiential avoidance, and cancer-related fatigue at baseline, 8 weeks, and 20 weeks. Blood samples are taken before and after the intervention to analyze IL-6 and BDNF levels. The study monitors changes in psychological symptoms and biological markers over a 20-week period to evaluate treatment impact.

Exergames-acceptance and Commitment Therapy(e-ACT) for Breast Cancer Depression and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial