Ritva Rissanen1, Karin Nordin1,2, Johan Ahlgren3, Cecilia Arving1. 1. Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden. 2. Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Norway. 3. Department of Oncology, University of Örebro, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mode of delivery of a stress management intervention, in a group or individual setting, on self-reported cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms. A secondary aim was to evaluate a stepped care approach. METHODS:All study participants (n = 425), who were female, newly diagnosed with breast cancer and receiving standard oncological care were offered Step I of the stepped care approach, a stress management education (SME). Thereafter, they were screened for cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms, and, if present (n = 304), were invited to join Step II, a more intense intervention, derived from cognitive behavioral therapy, to which they were randomized to either a group (n = 77) or individual (n = 78) setting. To assess cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms, participants completed the Impact of Event Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at the time of inclusion, three-months post-inclusion and approximately 12-months post-inclusion. RESULTS: The SME did not significantly decrease any of the cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms. No statistically significant differences were found between the group and the individual setting interventions. However, only 54% of the participants attended the group setting compared to 91% for the individual setting. CONCLUSION: The mode of delivery had no effect on the cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms; however, the individual setting was preferred. In future studies, a preference-based RCT design will be recommended for evaluating the different treatment effects.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mode of delivery of a stress management intervention, in a group or individual setting, on self-reported cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms. A secondary aim was to evaluate a stepped care approach. METHODS: All study participants (n = 425), who were female, newly diagnosed with breast cancer and receiving standard oncological care were offered Step I of the stepped care approach, a stress management education (SME). Thereafter, they were screened for cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms, and, if present (n = 304), were invited to join Step II, a more intense intervention, derived from cognitive behavioral therapy, to which they were randomized to either a group (n = 77) or individual (n = 78) setting. To assess cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms, participants completed the Impact of Event Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at the time of inclusion, three-months post-inclusion and approximately 12-months post-inclusion. RESULTS: The SME did not significantly decrease any of the cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms. No statistically significant differences were found between the group and the individual setting interventions. However, only 54% of the participants attended the group setting compared to 91% for the individual setting. CONCLUSION: The mode of delivery had no effect on the cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms; however, the individual setting was preferred. In future studies, a preference-based RCT design will be recommended for evaluating the different treatment effects.
Authors: Femke Jansen; Birgit I Lissenberg-Witte; Anna M H Krebber; Pim Cuijpers; Remco de Bree; Annemarie Becker-Commissaris; Egbert F Smit; Annemieke van Straten; Guus M Eeckhout; Aartjan T F Beekman; C René Leemans; Irma M Verdonck-de Leeuw Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2019-03-27 Impact factor: 3.603