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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TL;DR: Monitoring quality of life in breast cancer should be a mandatory part of follow-up in clinical trials, and assessment of quality ofLife can help identify those patients who might profit from psychosocial interventions.
Abstract: Effective treatment for breast cancer can produce a reasonably good ten-year survival rate in comparison to many other cancer sites. Nevertheless, the potential psychological, sexual and physical dysfunction caused by both the diagnosis and treatments can have a deleterious impact on the quality of a woman's life. The range of possible treatments may have similar outcomes in terms of response and survival, but can produce very different effects on emotional well-being. Therefore, monitoring quality of life in breast cancer should be a mandatory part of follow-up in clinical trials. Data derived from various studies of quality of life can also be used to assist the doctor and patient in decision-making about treatment options. Furthermore, assessment of quality of life can help identify those patients who might profit from psychosocial interventions. In this paper some of the instruments used to assess quality of life in breast cancer will be discussed.
57 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide updated information on psychotherapeutic interventions geared towards cancer patients suffering from depressive disorders, and its impact on disease progression, including depression associated with impaired immune response and poorer survival in patients with cancer.
Abstract: Depression, ranging from mild to severe, is the most frequently found psychological symptom among individuals with cancer. Depression in cancer patients has been known to mitigate emotional distress, quality of life, adherence to medical treatment, and overall health outcomes. Specifically, depression has been associated with impaired immune response and with poorer survival in patients with cancer. Various studies have found that psychotherapeutic interventions are effective in reducing symptoms of depression, which in turn could affect disease progression and mortality. This paper provides updated information on psychotherapeutic interventions geared towards cancer patients suffering from depressive disorders, and its impact on disease progression. PubMed, Cochrane Library database, PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES databases were searched from January 1980 through August 2013 using key words: psychotherapy, treatment, oncology, cancer, psycho-oncology, psychosocial issues, psychosocial stress, depressi...
57 citations
Cites background from "Group support for patients with met..."
...…therapy (SEGT): A standardized treatment for patients with lifethreatening illness that encourages the expression of feelings and concerns regarding the illness and its impact on their lives in a supportive group environment (Classen & Spiegel, 2011; Spiegel et al., 1981; Spiegel & Classen, 2000)....
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TL;DR: Effect of a support intervention on the physical and mental health of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients and participants who talked often with fellow cardiac patients in the hospital experienced improvements in their physical and emotional well-being over time.
Abstract: This field experiment examined effects of a support intervention on the physical and mental health of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery patients. Control participants (N = 90) received usual hospital care; experimental participants (N = 100) also received visits from a "similar other" while in the hospital. Similar others were Veterans Administration veterans who had CABG surgery previously and were trained in simple supportive techniques. Outcomes were assessed prior to surgery and at 1, 6, and 12 months afterwards. Unexpectedly, the intervention generally had no effects on participants' well-being. Further analysis showed that participants who talked often with fellow cardiac patients in the hospital ("de facto similar others") experienced improvements in their physical and emotional well-being over time.
56 citations
TL;DR: The CBSM+ Group intervention significantly decreased depression scores on the BDI for women following the intervention and maintained the decreased level at one-year follow-up.
Abstract: This prospective multisite Phase III clinical trial (Miami, New York, New Jersey) investigated the long-term (one year) effects of a 10-week group cognitive-behavioral stress management/expressive supportive therapy (CBSM+) intervention on disadvantaged minority women living with AIDS. The CBSM+ intervention consisted of 10-weekly group session of stress management, cognitive-behavioral skill training, relaxation techniques and expressive-supportive therapeutic strategies. The primary study outcome was self-reported depression scores as measured by the BDI. The CBSM+ Group intervention significantly decreased depression scores on the BDI for women following the intervention and maintained the decreased level at one-year follow-up.
56 citations
TL;DR: A variety of group and individual interventions are presented, which have been utilized to aid disabled employees in coping with work‐related injuries and medical illness, and the implementation of stress management interventions in the workplace is described in detail.
Abstract: Although the health care costs and the number of disability cases across all medical illnesses have increased, disability management programs implementing stress management interventions have been found to improve physical and mental health, reduce costs to employers, and facilitate the reintegration of injured individuals into the work environment. Stress management programs limit the impact and chronicity of disabilities and can be used to reduce and control the cost of disability in the workplace. Providing the most efficacious behavioral interventions thereby allows employers, employees and health professionals to work cooperatively to achieve optimum health and cost effectiveness. This review presents a variety of group and individual interventions, which have been utilized to aid disabled employees in coping with work-related injuries and medical illness. The implementation of stress management interventions in the workplace is described in detail, with special emphasis on the use of cognitive behavioral stress management. Finally, this review outlines a team approach to the application of a workplace stress management intervention aimed at reducing the overall impact of disability.
55 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.
21,451 citations
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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.
5,220 citations
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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