Group support for patients with metastatic cancer. A randomized outcome study.
01 May 1981-Archives of General Psychiatry (American Medical Association)-Vol. 38, Iss: 5, pp 527-533
TL;DR: Objective evidence is provided that a supportive group intervention for patients with metastatic cancer results in psychological benefit and mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of this group intervention are explored.
Abstract: • The effects of weekly supportive group meetings for women with metastatic carcinoma of the breast were systematically evaluated in a one-year, randomized, prospective outcome study. The groups focused on the problems of terminal illness, including improving relationships with family, friends, and physicians and living as fully as possible in the face of death. We hypothesized that this intervention would lead to improved mood, coping strategies, and self-esteem among those in the treatment group. Eighty-six patients were tested at four-month intervals. The treatment group had significantly lower mooddisturbance scores on the Profile of Mood States scale, had fewer maladaptive coping responses, and were less phobic than the control group. This study provides objective evidence that a supportive group intervention for patients with metastatic cancer results in psychological benefit. Mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of this group intervention are explored.
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01 Jan 2019
TL;DR: This theoretical dissertation explored how personal experiences with cancer (as patient or caregiver) influence oncology social work services and how therapist self-disclosure could become a valuable clinical resource and merits investigation.
Abstract: The American Cancer Society estimates that by 2020 cancer survivors in the United States will increase by 31%, rising from 13.7 million in 2012 to nearly 18 million, if cancer incidence and survival rates remain stable. This does not include others indirectly impacted by a diagnosis, such as family caregivers. Health care workers, including oncology social workers, are also increasingly finding themselves among those diagnosed with and / or caring for someone who has cancer. As cancer increasingly “hits home”, oncology social workers in such situations are also acquiring potentially valuable personal cancer coping experience. This theoretical dissertation explored how personal experiences with cancer (as patient or caregiver) influence oncology social work services. Social workers have had significant roles in research and theory development of therapist selfdisclosure. Recently developed decision-making models aid in effective self-disclosure, with attention to specific populations. Recent research has correlated therapist self-disclosure with patient’s increased treatment satisfaction and a positive treatment outcome. However, to date, no such work addresses the unique needs of and opportunities for oncology social workers with personal cancer experiences, their patterns of selfdisclosure and / or related potential educational needs. Such therapist self-disclosure could become a valuable clinical resource and merits investigation. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Social Work (DSW) First Advisor Allison Werner-Lin, PhD, LCSW Second Advisor James Zabora, PhD, ScD, MSW
2 citations
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2004
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the efficacy of promoting couple coping compared to enhancing the patients' coping alone, and found that training in couple coping rather than individual coping was more effective in facilitating adaptation to cancer.
Abstract: Cancer diagnosis and treatment affects the psychological wellbeing of both patients and their partners. Couples who adapt well to their cancer experience are said to engage in “couple-coping”, a process of conjoint coping and mutual support that forges a shared approach to managing the stressors they encounter. However, most psycho-oncology interventions focus on assisting the patients alone to cope with cancer. Little is known about how to help couples develop a unified stand against cancer, or whether couples who cope as a team are more successful in re-claiming their lives after cancer than patients who wage a solo battle. The present study examined the efficacy of promoting couple coping compared to enhancing the patients’ coping alone. Ninety-four married women with early stage cancer and their partners were randomly assigned to couple-based coping and support training (CanCOPE), individual coping training for the woman, or a medical education control. Couples’ observed support communication, and self-reported psychological distress, coping-effort and sexual adjustment were assessed at diagnosis, after cancer surgery, and at 6and 12-month follow-ups. Relative to the other conditions, CanCOPE produced significant improvements in couples’ supportive communication, reduced psychological distress and coping effort, and improved sexual adjustment. Training in couple coping rather than individual coping was more effective in facilitating adaptation to cancer. The findings have practical implications for the delivery of psychological support services to women with cancer, as well as broader theoretical implications for the way models of stress and coping have traditionally been conceptualised.
2 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: It was considered that these 3 intervention forms are involved in group dynamics in which participants can easily hold discussions, and are techniques necessary for group intervention contributing to changes in the psychological distress and the coping of participants.
Abstract: Recent advances in cancer treatment have helped breast cancer patients live longer. However, breast cancer patients also have psychological burdens and therefore live with psycho-social problems. 1–3
Group therapy, which was developed in the United States and Europe as one of the psycho-social interventions for improving psychological distress and helping cancer patients cope, 4–9 is a program consisting of education on methods for coping with stress and for solving problems, group discussion and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). This positive effects of this approach has also been verified in Japan. 4, 5, 10
Group interventions are not considered susceptible to the skills of a therapist because a characteristic feature of intervention is that participants can understand each others’ situations and support each other, i.e., they participate in group dynamics.11 On the other hand, it was reported that facilitators, who play a role in smooth and effective organization of group discussion in group interventions, provide their patients with intervention, but have difficulty in, for example, managing participants with problems and feeling anxiety due to lack of knowledge. 12 This is thought to be because these facilitators and staff have more anxiety than necessary since the mechanism for creating group dynamics in group interventions for Japanese cancer patients has not yet been fully elucidated.
Based on the above background, we conducted a study of a psycho-social intervention which was proven to be useful for Japanese patients with primary and recurrent breast cancer. 4, 10 In this study, we investigated in detail the factors that create group dynamics experienced by Japanese facilitators.
2 citations
TL;DR: In dit artikel komen de volgende onderwerpen aan de orde: het ontstaan van en de status quo van psycho-oncologie, de aard van psychische problemen in de context van kanker, de ontwikkeling and uitkomsten van interventiestudies and de beschikbaarheid of diverse interventiemogelijkheden in Nederland.
Abstract: Kanker is tegenwoordig een van de eerste doodsoorzaken in de westerse samenleving, maar tevens overleven veel mensen hun ziekte, vanwege sterk verbeterde medische behandelmogelijkheden. De afgelopen dertig jaar heeft de psycho-oncologie zich ontwikkeld van een on(der)belicht gebied tot een erkend, belangrijk aspect van kankerrehabilitatie. Aanpassing aan de ziekte kanker vergt vaak een complex psychisch proces, waarin dagelijkse beslommeringen en existentiele zorgen hand in hand gaan. Afhankelijk van de ziektefase waarin iemand zich bevindt, kan men worstelen met verlies en/of angst. Sommige mensen hebben hierbij behoefte aan professionele psychische hulp. In zo’n geval is het belangrijk dat de psycholoog/psychotherapeut beschikt over passende kennis en voldoende inzicht over wat kanker in medische en psychische zin met zich meebrengt. In dit artikel komen de volgende onderwerpen aan de orde: het ontstaan van en de status quo van psycho-oncologie, de aard van psychische problemen in de context van kanker, de ontwikkeling en uitkomsten van interventiestudies en de beschikbaarheid van diverse interventiemogelijkheden in Nederland.
2 citations
01 Jan 2017
TL;DR: In this paper, analisi verra effettuata su trascritti verbatim di 15 sessioni per paziente campionate all-interno di 3 unita temporali corrispondenti a inizio, parte centrale e fine del percorso.
Abstract: L’efficacia degli interventi psicologici di gruppo in ambito oncologico e nota in letteratura. Tra le psicoterapie di gruppo lo psicodramma si qualifica come un modello particolarmente adatto per i pazienti oncologici, in quanto come metodo d’azione bypassa la mentalizzazione favorendo l’espressione del mondo interno dei pazienti attraverso la messa in scena di situazioni problematiche. Pochi pero sono gli studi che hanno valutato l’efficacia del trattamento psicodrammatico nella cura di questi pazienti. Dal 2010 sono attivi, in maniera continuativa, presso l’USD di Psicologia Clinica del Presidio Ospedaliero San Paolo di Milano gruppi di psicodramma con pazienti oncologici. Il presente contributo ha l’obiettivo di descrivere gli effetti di un percorso psicodrammatico tramite l’osservazione dei processi di evoluzione interna di due pazienti oncologici, seguiti presso il suddetto Servizio, i quali hanno portato a termine il percorso terapeutico il primo per decesso e il secondo per conclusione concordata. L’analisi verra effettuata su trascritti verbatim di 15 sessioni per paziente campionate all’interno di 3 unita temporali corrispondenti a inizio, parte centrale e fine del percorso. Dall’analisi clinico-interpretativa dei trascritti delle sessioni verranno messi in evidenza i cambiamenti e le evoluzioni dei contenuti portati in sessione.
2 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of reward or reinforcement on preceding behavior depend in part on whether the person perceives the reward as contingent on his own behavior or independent of it, and individuals may also differ in generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.
Abstract: The effects of reward or reinforcement on preceding behavior depend in part on whether the person perceives the reward as contingent on his own behavior or independent of it. Acquisition and performance differ in situations perceived as determined by skill versus chance. Persons may also differ in generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. This report summarizes several experiments which define group differences in behavior when Ss perceive reinforcement as contingent on their behavior versus chance or experimenter control. The report also describes the development of tests of individual differences in a generalized belief in internal-external control and provides reliability, discriminant validity and normative data for 1 test, along with a description of the results of several studies of construct validity.
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Book•
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01 Jan 1969
TL;DR: In this article, the implications of terminal illness for patients and for those involved in their care were discussed, and patients invited to talk about their experience found great relief in expressing their fear and anger and were able to move towards a state of acceptance and peace.
Abstract: Although most areas of human experience are nowadays discussed freely and openly, the subject of death is still surrounded by conventional attitudes and reticence that offer only fragile comfort because they evade the real issues. The dying may thus be denied the opportunity of sharing their feelings and discussing their needs with family, friends, or hospital staff. Although receiving devoted medical care, a dying patient is often socially isolated and avoided, since professional staff and students can find contact painful and embarrasing.
Aware of the strains imposed on all sides by this situation, Dr Kubler-Ross established a seminar at the University of Chicago to consider the implications of terminal illness for patients and for those involved in their care. Patients invited to talk about their experience often found great relief in expressing their fear and anger and were able to move towards a state of acceptance and peace. The seminar, initially composed of students of medicine, sociology, psychology, and theology, but later joined by hospital staff and relatives of patients, enabled many members to come to terms with their own feelings and to respond constructi to what the patients had to teach them.
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1,254 citations
TL;DR: A study of 800 outpatient visits to Children's Hospital of Los Angeles as discussed by the authors explored the effect of verbal interaction between doctor and patient on patient satisfaction and follow-through on follow-up.
Abstract: Study of 800 outpatient visits to Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles to explore the effect of the verbal interaction between doctor and patient on patient satisfaction and follow-through on...
947 citations