A comparison of the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral stress management and acceptance and commitment therapy on the quality of life and fatigue of caregivers of patients with cancer: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose: This study sought to compare the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on the quality of life and fatigue of caregivers of cancer patients. Method: This single-site, parallel-group, three-arm, superiority randomized controlled trial with a 1:1:1 allocation ratio includes 66 caregivers of cancer patients who were randomly assigned to either the CBSM, ACT, or control group. The CBSM and ACT interventions each consisted of eight in-person sessions, conducted twice a week for 90 min each. Participants in all three groups completed the Caregiver Quality of Life Index-Cancer and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in all pre, post, and follow-up phases. Results: A significant difference was observed in the quality of life and caregiver fatigue among the three groups in both the posttest and follow-up phases (p < 0.05), which were maintained 2 months after the intervention, apart from quality of life in the CBSM group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the variables between the two interventions (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The effectiveness of both ACT and CBSM in enhancing caregivers’ quality of life and alleviating fatigue offers a promising perspective for the development and implementation of supportive and therapeutic programs aimed at enhancing the mental health of caregivers of cancer patients. Trial registration: www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT07329868 (December 29, 2025, retrospectively registered). © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2026.