en Surgery Surgery Original Research Original Research <p><strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong><strong>&nbsp; Background: </strong>Depression is a common psychiatric disorder in breast cancer patients. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of group psychotherapy on breast cancer patients with depressive disorder who took citalopram.<br> <strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; Methods:</strong> This clinical trial was conducted on 40 breast cancer patients with depressive disorder. The control group received citalopram 20-40 mg/ day for 12 weeks and the intervention group participated in 8 sessions of group psychotherapy in addition to the same dose of citalopram. At the baseline and 3, 6, and 12 weeks after treatment, patients were followed- up. Treatment outcomes and quality of life were compared between the 2 groups.<br> <strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; Results:</strong> Overall, the depression score of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at baseline with the mean of 11.6&plusmn;1.6 was signed in the range of clinical depression and after intervention it declined to 8.8&plusmn;3.6 (in the 3rd week), 7.1&plusmn;3.9 (6th week), and 5.9&plusmn;4.5 (12th week). Furthermore, HADS anxiety score at baseline with the mean of 12.6&plusmn;2.6 was signed in the range of clinical anxiety and after intervention it declined to 9.1&plusmn;3.0, 7.3&plusmn;4.1, and 6.0&plusmn;4.0, respectively. This improvement was significantly more in the combined therapy intervention group (p<0.001). The mean score of quality of life based on WHO QOL-BREF questionnaire increased by 1.85 fold in the case group, improved from 44.09 to 81.70, while the slight change was observed in the control group (p<0.001). During the treatment, no significant adverse drug event was observed in the 2 groups (p>0.05).<br> <strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; Conclusion:</strong> Group psychotherapy has a significant effect on improving depression, anxiety, and quality of life in breast cancer patients.<br> &nbsp;</p> Breast cancer, Depression, Anxiety, Citalopram, Group psychotherapy 394 399 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-3401-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Novin Nikbakhsh novinsu@hotmail.com 200319475328460039250 200319475328460039250 No Cancer Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Sussan Moudi sussan.mouodi@gmail.com 200319475328460039251 200319475328460039251 Yes Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Sara Alvarzandi sarazand87@yahoo.com 200319475328460039252 200319475328460039252 No Faculty of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Maede Niazifar mae.nzf@gmail.com 200319475328460039253 200319475328460039253 No Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Nazila Farnoush nazilafarnoush@gmail.com 200319475328460039254 200319475328460039254 No Department of Surgery, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Ali Bijani alibijani@yahoo.com 200319475328460039255 200319475328460039255 No SDH Research Center, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Marjan Moudi marjan_mouodi@yahoo.com 200319475328460039256 200319475328460039256 No Department of Internal Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.