Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Introduction Breast cancer is the most common female cancer. In 2015, the National Cancer Institute estimates that it represents 31% of the number of cancer cases and 18% of cancer deaths among women. Breast cancer is among the cancers of good prognosis with a relative survival rate of 5 years of 85%. 1 However, patients who survive have signifcant physical (pain, fatigue) but also psychological (body image disorders, fear of relapse or death and anode-depressive disorders). 2 In order to accompany patients throughout the illness, supportive care provides care and / or support, in addition to oncology treatments. As such, art therapy is part of the proposed cancer care. It represents a modality of psychosocial support. 3 It helps to cope with the disease by offering the possibility of being an actor in a situation of passivity related to hospitalization. It gives a new meaning to life and regains a sense of control through self-expression in art. 4 Art therapy positively infuences the quality of life, preserves self-image and reduces anxiety, somatization and depressive symptoms. 5 Creativity, fostered by art therapy, participates in the process of resilience. 6 This biological, psycho-emotional, social and cultural process intervenes following a psychological trauma and makes possible the setting up of a new development. 7 Among the artistic mediations proposed in art therapy, poetry is a marginal practice in France. The use of metaphor in poetry proves to be a support for the development of a traumatic experience and to give it meaning. 8 The use of poetry promotes acceptance of the body following a mastectomy 9 and decreases negative affects (anger, anxiety) by promoting a process of resilience. 10 Based on an exploratory research with a mixed methodology, carried out in oncology and palliative care services (La Timone Hospital, Marseille), the objectives of this article are to evaluate, using questionnaires or scales, psychological care mediated by the poetry of women with breast cancer. Due to the small size, we will present as an indication, the trends observed from the results of the comparison of a group of women who took part in the care and of a group of women who did not wish to attend participate in order to assess the effects of care on resilience, confdence in the future and the body image of these women. We hypothesize that this modality of care will allow a favorable evolution for the women of the experimental group. The qualitative analysis will highlight the main topics of the poems performed by the participants and will illustrate and support, based on two clinical vignettes, the observed statistical trends. Procedure Theoretical and practical aspects of setting up the framework for poetry therapy Few studies are available concerning the care of cancer patients through poetry therapy, or mediated by poetry. In addition, there are methodological differences (use of erotic poetry, haiku, individual or group work). 9–11 In order to reduce a possible reluctance of patients to write poems, linked to a feeling of regression and a reference to schooling, a booklet was created and made available to them. It offers references on the different types of poems and writing methods of poetry (rhyme, structuring stanzas, for example). This booklet has appeased the fear of judgment and writing anxiety, often perceived as a school exercise by patients: “I am not good in French», «I often had bad grades at school”. A great deal of freedom is left to the patients regarding the choice of topics for poetry or conversation. Our interventions consisted in encouraging the discourse by reminders, reformulations or echoes. The poem is considered a mediator for support. Constitution of groups The inclusion criteria for both groups are: to be a woman, to have a mastectomy and to be taken care of at the day hospital. When we gathered enough participants, they were randomly and equally affected in the control or experimental group. Two volunteers did not participate due to severe asthenia and the end of treatment. The experimental group is composed of 4 participants in the mediation supported by poetry (in individual sessions) and the control group of 6 women who do not participate. All the participants Hos Pal Med Int Jnl. 2018;2(6):326‒330. 326 ©2018 Fakhry et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Psychological care mediated by poetry for four women with breast cancer: an exploratory study Volume 2 Issue 6 - 2018 Alicia Fakhry, 1 Géraldine De Blasi, 2 Evelyne Bouteyre 3 1 Clinical psychologist, Aix Marseille University, France 2 Clinical Psychologist, Doctor in Psychology, Aix Marseille University, France 3 University Professor in Clinical Psychopathology, Aix Marseille University, France Correspondence: Evelyne Bouteyre, University Professor in Clinical Psychopathology , Aix Marseille University, LPC PP , EA 3278, 29 Avenue Robert Schuman, F-13621, Aix-En Provence cedex 1, Email Received: March 29, 2018 | Published: November 20, 2018 Abstract From an exploratory research with mixed methodology, this paper aims to assess the psychological care mediated by poetry written by women with breast cancer. For informational purposes, we hereby present the statistical trends of the results of the comparison of two groups of women. The goal is to assess the effects of this psychological care is resilience, confdence in the future and body image of women using thesis several psychological scales. The frst group consists of 4 women in the psychological care and the second group is composed of 6 women who do not take part in the psychological care program. The qualitative analysis highlight s the hand MENTIONED themes in the participants’ poems and enable s to Illustrate and to support it based two clinical cases, the statistical trends indicating indication is favorable evolution and has signifcant positive effect of this psychological care for the participants. Keywords: psychological care, mediation, poetry, cancer, resilience Hospice & Palliative Medicine International Journal Research Article Open Access