The culturally adapted cognitive behavioral stress management program for enhancing psychological well-being and self-management of postoperative breast cancer patients: A randomized controlled study protocol in China.

Introduction: Breast cancer patients often face mental health challenges after prolonged treatment. High incidence and mortality rates, coupled with a shortage of healthcare professionals and heavy clinical workloads, frequently lead to the neglect of psychological care. Developing a targeted and effective psychological intervention for breast cancer patients is therefore crucial. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a culturally adapted cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) program on postoperative psychological well-being, disease-related symptoms, and self-management among breast cancer patients in China. Methods and analysis: A total of 72 postoperative breast cancer participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group. This study adopts a randomized controlled design with repeated post-test measurements. Key outcome variables, including benefit finding (primary outcome), social support, perceived stress, self-management, and quality of life (secondary outcomes), will be assessed at four time points: baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the intervention. Discussion: This study provides a structured psychological intervention tailored to postoperative breast cancer patients in China, offering a theoretical basis for clinical psychological care in oncology settings. The findings are expected to clarify the role of the culturally adapted CBSM program in enhancing benefit finding, improving social support and self-management, and alleviating stress while boosting quality of life. By testing the adapted CBSM in the Chinese cultural context, with implications for refining cross-cultural psychological support strategies for breast cancer patients. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2500101510; registration date: April 25, 2025.