Mountain Therapy as a support in breast cancer treatment

A pilot study in Southern Italy

Abstract

This paper offers a pilot study on Mountain Therapy (MT) as a therapeutic-rehabilitative and/or socio-educational methodological approach aimed at the secondary prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of people with different pathologies. The study was conducted in 2021 in the Sila National Park in the Calabria region (Southern Italy) and involved a group of 19 breast cancer patients after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The main results show that the patient’s quality of life improved after the MT approach, reducing stress and anxiety levels. These effects were measured by the submission of the HADS - Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - questionnaires at time 0 (start) and time 1 (end) of the treatment and by an NCCN Distress Thermometer. The study confirms the regenerative capacity of the natural environment in people suffering from a disabling disease, monitored through the assessment of psycho-physical parameters, helping to improve their quality of life and reduce hospitalisations.