Comparison of Bioenergy Economy-based Health Improvement, Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Emotional Capital in Women with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer

Objective: This randomized controlled trial compared the effects of bioenergy economy-based health improvement (BEHI), cognitive behavioral hypnotherapy (CBH), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on emotional capital in women with non-metastatic breast cancer.

Methods and Materials: Eighty women aged 20–45 years with a recent diagnosis of non-metastatic breast cancer were recruited in Isfahan, Iran, and randomly allocated to BEHI, CBH, CBT, or a no-treatment control group (n=20 each). Interventions followed standardized protocols (8 weekly sessions for BEHI; 10 for CBH and CBT). Emotional capital (positive affect, energy, happiness) was measured using the Emotional Capital Questionnaire at baseline, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up. Data from 72 completers were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA with Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc tests.

Findings:  A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant time × group interaction effect (p = .017, ηp² = 0.117), indicating that emotional capital scores changed differently across groups over time. Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons showed that the BEHI group had significantly greater emotional capital scores than the CBH group at both post-test (p = .001) and follow-up (p = .003). Furthermore, at follow-up, the BEHI group also showed significantly higher scores compared to the CBT (p = .028) and control (p = .001) groups.

Conclusion:  BEHI appears more effective than CBH and CBT in enhancing and maintaining emotional capital among women with non-metastatic breast cancer. By simultaneously targeting bodily, narrative, relational, and intentional “economies,” BEHI may offer a promising integrative option for psycho-oncological care. Replication with larger samples, active control conditions, and longer follow-up is needed to clarify mechanisms and optimize implementation.