BACKGROUND: Attention to psycho-socio-spiritual needs is considered critical by patients with life-threatening illnesses and their caregivers. Palliative care interventions that address these needs--particularly spirituality--are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of an innovative program to address psycho-socio-spiritual needs in patients with life-threatening illnesses. DESIGN: A group intervention entitled Life-Threatening Illness Supportive-Affective Group Experience (LTI-SAGE) was developed for reducing patient spiritual, emotional, and death-related distress. SETTING/ SUBJECTS:African American and Caucasian patients (n = 69) from two hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri, with life-threatening medical conditions (cancer; human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome [HIV/AIDS]; geriatric frailty; liver, kidney, pulmonary, or cardiovascular disease) were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. Intervention patients participated in a maximum of 12 LTI-SAGE groups over a 12-month period. Control patients received standard care. MEASUREMENTS: Outcome measures were depression symptoms, anxiety, spiritual well-being, and death-related emotional distress. RESULTS: After attrition, 51 (73.9%) patients completed the trial. At the end of the trial, after factoring in compliance, intervention patients had significantly fewer depression symptoms and death-related feelings of meaninglessness and significantly better spiritual well-being than did control patients. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the LTI-SAGE model for enhancing the end-of-life illness experience is promising.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Attention to psycho-socio-spiritual needs is considered critical by patients with life-threatening illnesses and their caregivers. Palliative care interventions that address these needs--particularly spirituality--are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of an innovative program to address psycho-socio-spiritual needs in patients with life-threatening illnesses. DESIGN: A group intervention entitled Life-Threatening Illness Supportive-Affective Group Experience (LTI-SAGE) was developed for reducing patient spiritual, emotional, and death-related distress. SETTING/ SUBJECTS: African American and Caucasian patients (n = 69) from two hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri, with life-threatening medical conditions (cancer; human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome [HIV/AIDS]; geriatric frailty; liver, kidney, pulmonary, or cardiovascular disease) were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. Intervention patients participated in a maximum of 12 LTI-SAGE groups over a 12-month period. Control patients received standard care. MEASUREMENTS: Outcome measures were depression symptoms, anxiety, spiritual well-being, and death-related emotional distress. RESULTS: After attrition, 51 (73.9%) patients completed the trial. At the end of the trial, after factoring in compliance, intervention patients had significantly fewer depression symptoms and death-related feelings of meaninglessness and significantly better spiritual well-being than did control patients. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the LTI-SAGE model for enhancing the end-of-life illness experience is promising.
Authors: Sian Cotton; Christina M Puchalski; Susan N Sherman; Joseph M Mrus; Amy H Peterman; Judith Feinberg; Kenneth I Pargament; Amy C Justice; Anthony C Leonard; Joel Tsevat Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2006-12 Impact factor: 5.128
Authors: Lise J Houmann; Susan Rydahl-Hansen; Harvey M Chochinov; Linda J Kristjanson; Mogens Groenvold Journal: BMC Palliat Care Date: 2010-09-22 Impact factor: 3.234
Authors: Laura C Hanson; Debra Dobbs; Barbara M Usher; Sharon Williams; Jim Rawlings; Timothy P Daaleman Journal: J Palliat Med Date: 2008-07 Impact factor: 2.947