Abbas Betiar - Department of Health Psychology, Khorramshahr International Branch, Islamic Azad University, Khorramshahr, Iran.
Naser Saraj Khorrami - Department of Psychology, Dezful Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dezful, Iran.
Behnam Makvandi - Department of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.

Background: Cancer treatment accompanies several psychological pressures some of which reduce the quality of life and cause anxiety and depression. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mental imagery on the hope and self-efficacy of patients with leukemia and lymphoma.Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all male and female patients with leukemia and lymphoma visiting the hematology department of Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital of Babol in ۲۰۱۹. Of them, ۴۵ patients (۱۵ per group) were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. The first experimental group received eight ۹۰-minute sessions of individual cognitive behavioral therapy and the second experimental group received ten ۹۰-minute sessions of mental imagery. The control group received no intervention. The research instruments included the Miller Hope Scale (MHS) and Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI). Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance.Results: Findings suggested that cognitive-behavioral therapy and mental imagery have a significant effect on patients’ self-efficacy and hope (Pvalue<۰.۰۰۱). There was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two therapies.Conclusions: Considering the effectiveness of the therapies, they are suggested to be utilized extensively along with medical and clinical interventions to improve the psychological well-being of cancer patients.Keywords: Cognitive behavioral therapy, Imagery, Hope, Self-efficacy, CancerBackground: Cancer treatment accompanies several psychological pressures some of which reduce the quality of life and cause anxiety and depression. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mental imagery on the hope and self-efficacy of patients with leukemia and lymphoma. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population of this study consisted of all male and female patients with leukemia and lymphoma visiting the hematology department of Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital of Babol in ۲۰۱۹. Of them, ۴۵ patients (۱۵ per group) were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. The first experimental group received eight ۹۰-minute sessions of individual cognitive behavioral therapy and the second experimental group received ten ۹۰-minute sessions of mental imagery. The control group received no intervention. The research instruments included the Miller Hope Scale (MHS) and Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI). Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance. Results: Findings suggested that cognitive-behavioral therapy and mental imagery have a significant effect on patients’ self-efficacy and hope (Pvalue<۰.۰۰۱). There was no significant difference between the effectiveness of the two therapies. Conclusions: Considering the effectiveness of the therapies, they are suggested to be utilized extensively along with medical and clinical interventions to improve the psychological well-being of cancer patients. Keywords: Cognitive behavioral therapy, Imagery, Hope, Self-efficacy, Cancer

Cognitive behavioral therapy, Imagery, Hope, Self-efficacy, Cancer