Meaning-centered group psychotherapy: An effective intervention for improving psychological well-being in patients with advanced cancer Journal Article

   


Authors: Breitbart, W.; Rosenfeld, B.; Pessin, H.; Applebaum, A.; Kulikowski, J.; Lichtenthal, W. G.
Article Title: Meaning-centered group psychotherapy: An effective intervention for improving psychological well-being in patients with advanced cancer
Abstract: Purpose: To test the efficacy of meaning-centered group psychotherapy (MCGP) to reduce psychological distress and improve spiritual well-being in patients with advanced or terminal cancer. Patients and Methods: Patients with advanced cancer (N = 253) were randomly assigned to manualized eight-session interventions of either MCGP or supportive group psychotherapy (SGP). Patients were assessed before and after completing the treatment and 2 months after treatment. The primary outcome measures were spiritual well-being and overall quality of life, with secondary outcome measures assessing depression, hopelessness, desire for hastened death, anxiety, and physical symptom distress. Results: Hierarchical linear models that included a priori covariates and only participants who attended ≥ three sessions indicated a significant group × time interaction for most outcome variables. Specifically, patients receiving MCGP showed significantly greater improvement in spiritual well-being and quality of life and significantly greater reductions in depression, hopelessness, desire for hastened death, and physical symptom distress compared with those receiving SGP. No group differences were observed for changes in anxiety. Analyses that included all patients, regardless of whether they attended any treatment sessions (ie, intent-to-treat analyses), and no covariates still showed significant treatment effects (ie, greater benefit for patients receiving MCGP v SGP) for quality of life, depression, and hopelessness but not for other outcome variables. Conclusion: This large randomized controlled study provides strong support for the efficacy of MCGP as a treatment for psychological and existential or spiritual distress in patients with advanced cancer. © 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Oncology
Volume: 33
Issue: 7
ISSN: 0732-183X
Publisher: American Society of Clinical Oncology  
Date Published: 2015-03-01
Start Page: 749
End Page: 754
Language: English
DOI: 10.1200/jco.2014.57.2198
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC4334778
PUBMED: 25646186
DOI/URL:

http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84925342824&partnerID=40&md5=cdb2e9df319936442eb18b919a97fd81
Notes: Export Date: 2 April 2015 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. William S Breitbart
    492 Breitbart
  2. Allison Joyce Applebaum
    174 Applebaum
  3. Wendy Gail Lichtenthal
    115 Lichtenthal
  4. Hayley Ann Pessin
    83 Pessin
  5. Julia Nicole Radomski
    9 Radomski
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