The Influence of A Combination of ACT, WDEP Technique, and Butterfly Hug on Reducing Anxiety in Cancer Patients
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26630/jk.v16i3.5292Keywords:
Acceptance and commitment therapy, Oncology services, Wants, doing, evaluation, and planning technique.Abstract
Cancer is a chronic disease that triggers significant psychological anxiety in patients who can negatively affect quality of life and adherence to treatment, making psychological management very important. This study aims to determine the effect of combining Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), the Wants, Doing, Evaluation, and Planning (WDEP) technique, and the butterfly hug on reducing anxiety among cancer patients. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test and a control group, ensuring comparison between participants who received the intervention and those who did not. 40 patients selected by accidental sampling. The intervention group received a combination therapy of ACT, WDEP, and butterfly hug, while the control group received deep breathing therapy. Anxiety was measured using the STAI-T instrument. The mean anxiety score before receiving the combined ACT, WDEP, and butterfly hug therapy in the intervention group was 33.0, and after the intervention, it decreased to 27.85. The mean anxiety score before receiving deep breathing therapy in the control group was 31.30, and after the intervention, it decreased to 28.30. The independent samples T-Test showed a p-value≤0.0001. The combination of ACT, WDEP technique, and the butterfly hug proved effective in reducing anxiety levels among cancer patients at the halfway house in Bengkulu City. This combination therapy appears feasible, safe, and potentially effective as a brief psychological intervention for cancer patients. It should be considered as part of supportive care packages in oncology services with ongoing evaluation of its effectiveness and its long-term impact on patients' psychological well-being.
References
Arniyanti, A. (2020). Efektivitas Terapi Slow Deep Breathing Terhadap Kecemasan Anak Leukemia Yang Menjalani Kemoterapi. Jurnal Mitrasehat, 10(2), 178-185. https://doi.org/10.51171/jms.v10i2.239
Astuti, A. W., Rosyid, N. F., & Subrata, S. A. (2024a). Butterfly hug therapy for reducing anxiety levels and stabilizing hemodynamics in patients undergoing digital subtraction angiography. Medisains, 22(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.30595/medisains.v22i1.21484
Cheng, J., Wang, S., Xu, H., Zhang, L., & Zhou, Y. (2023). Acceptance and commitment therapy reduces psychological distress in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1253266. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1253266
Corey, G. (2025). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy (11th ed.). USA: Cengage Learning.
Faretta. (2021). EMDR in cancer patients: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 590204. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.590204
Hafsah, L. (2022). Gambaran tingkat kecemasan pada pasien kanker yang menjalani kemoterapi di RSUD Dr. M. Yunus Bengkulu. Jurnal Vokasi Keperawatan (JVK), 5(1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.33369/jvk.v5i1.22338
Hayama, Y., & Inoue, T. (2012). The effects of deep breathing on ‘tension–anxiety’and fatigue in cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 18(2), 94-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2011.10.001
Hu, M., & Kim, T.-H. (2025). Impact of breathing exercises on anxiety and depression in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psycho-Oncologie, 19(2), 3618. https://doi.org/10.18282/po3618
Isfia, A., Sovitriana, R., & Ciptadi, W. A. (2024). Penerapan terapi realitas teknik WDEP untuk mengatasi kecemasan pada warga binaan pemasyarakatan menjelang masa pembebasan di lapas kelas 1 Bandar Lampung. Jurnal of Contiquity, 20(2), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.37817/jurnalcontiguity.v20i2.3847
Jingjia, S., & Lingyu, Z. (2025). Addressing mental health needs in patients with cancer: A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 40(4), 318–325. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000859
Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia. (2024). Rencana Kanker Nasional 2024–2034: Strategi Indonesia dalam upaya melawan kanker. Jakarta: Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia.
Mahmuddin, D. R. L., & Rizany, I. (2019). Hubungan lama menjalani kemoterapi dengan kualitas hidup penderita kanker payudara di RSUD Ulin Banjarmasin. Jurnal Dinamika Kesehatan, 10(1), 254–265. https://doi.org/10.33859/dksm.v10i1.455
Mochtar, N. M., Aisy, L. R., Irawati, D. N., & Finansah, Y. W. (2024). Hubungan faktor genetik dan faktor usia terhadap kejadian kanker payudara pada wanita di RSUD Dr. Soedomo Trenggalek periode 2020–2021. Jurnal Medis Umum, 1(3), 175–184. https://doi.org/10.30651/jmu.v1i3.24772
Nurpadilah, D., Albianto, D. L. P., Firmansyah, D., Setiawan, H., Fauzi, A. R., Lismayanti, L., & Fauziah, D. N. (2025). Effectiveness of butterfly hug therapy in reducing anxiety symptoms among older adults: A systematic review. Genius Journal, 6(1), 284–297. https://doi.org/10.56359/gj.v6i1.527
Prajogo, S. L., & Yudiarso, A. (2021). Metaanalisis efektivitas acceptance and commitment therapy untuk menangani gangguan kecemasan umum. Psikologika: Jurnal Pemikiran dan Penelitian Psikologi, 26(1), 85-100. https://doi.org/10.20885/psikologika.vol26.iss1.art5
Ramdhani, Z. D., & Soleman, S. R. (2023). Penerapan teknik butterfly hug untuk menurunkan kecemasan pada lansia di panti usia lanjut ‘Aisyiyah Surakarta. Jurnal Ilmu Kedokteran Dan Kesehatan Indonesia, 3(3), 186-193. https://doi.org/10.55606/jikki.v3i3.2173
Salari, D. (2023). The effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with cancer: A systematic review. Current Psychology, 42(7), 5694–5716. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01934-x
Sonalika, S., Rout, S., Pradhan, D., Lenka, S., & Pattanayak, A. (2024). Transforming Breast Cancer Care: Empowering Patients' Quality of Life through Resilience. Medical Research Archives, 12(11). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i11.5879
WHO. (2024a). Global cancer burden growing, amidst mounting need for services. Geneva: World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-services
WHO. (2024b). Preventing and controlling cancer: WHO and partners step up support. Geneva: World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/indonesia/id/news/detail/24-10-2024-preventing-and-controlling-cancer--who-and-partners-step-up-support
Zang, L., Cheng, C., Zhou, Y., & Liu, X. (2023). Music therapy effect on anxiety reduction among patients with cancer: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1028934. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1028934
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Cherina Ayu, Agung Riyadi, Hermansyah

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as this can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citations of published work.






