TY - JOUR

T1 - Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of meaning-centered group psychotherapy in cancer survivors

T2 - Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial

AU - van der Spek, Nadia

AU - Vos, Joël

AU - van Uden-Kraan, Cornelia F.

AU - Breitbart, William

AU - Cuijpers, Pim

AU - Knipscheer-Kuipers, Kitty

AU - Willemsen, Vincent

AU - Tollenaar, Rob A. E. M.

AU - van Asperen, Christi J.

AU - Verdonck-de Leeuw, Irma M.

N1 - Funding Information: This study is funded by the Dutch Cancer Society/Alpe d’HuZes/KWF Fund.

PY - 2014/1/28

Y1 - 2014/1/28

N2 - Background: Meaning-focused coping may be at the core of adequate adjustment to life after cancer. Cancer survivors who experience their life as meaningful are better adjusted, have better quality of life and psychological functioning. Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy for Cancer Survivors (MCGP-CS) was designed to help patients to sustain or enhance a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. The aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of MCGP-CS. Methods/Design: Survivors diagnosed with cancer in the last 5 years and treated with curative intent, are recruited via several hospitals in the Netherlands. After screening, 168 survivors are randomly assigned to one of the three study arms: 1. Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy (MCGP-CS) 2. Supportive group psychotherapy (SGP) 3. Care as usual (CAU). Baseline assessment takes place before randomisation, with follow up assessments post-intervention and at 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up. Primary outcome is meaning making (PMP, PTGI, SPWB). Secondary outcome measures address quality of life (EORTC-30), anxiety and depression (HADS), hopelessness (BHS), optimism (LOT-R), adjustment to cancer (MAC), and costs (TIC-P, EQ-5D, PRODISQ). Discussion: Meaning-focused coping is key to adjustment to life after cancer, however, there is a lack of evidence based psychological interventions in this area. Many cancer survivors experience feelings of loneliness and alienation, and have a need for peer support, therefore a group method in particular, can be beneficial for sustaining or enhancing a sense of meaning. If this MCGP-CS is effective for cancer survivors, it can be implemented in the practice of psycho-oncology care.

AB - Background: Meaning-focused coping may be at the core of adequate adjustment to life after cancer. Cancer survivors who experience their life as meaningful are better adjusted, have better quality of life and psychological functioning. Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy for Cancer Survivors (MCGP-CS) was designed to help patients to sustain or enhance a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. The aim of the proposed study is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of MCGP-CS. Methods/Design: Survivors diagnosed with cancer in the last 5 years and treated with curative intent, are recruited via several hospitals in the Netherlands. After screening, 168 survivors are randomly assigned to one of the three study arms: 1. Meaning-Centered Group Psychotherapy (MCGP-CS) 2. Supportive group psychotherapy (SGP) 3. Care as usual (CAU). Baseline assessment takes place before randomisation, with follow up assessments post-intervention and at 3, 6 and 12 months follow-up. Primary outcome is meaning making (PMP, PTGI, SPWB). Secondary outcome measures address quality of life (EORTC-30), anxiety and depression (HADS), hopelessness (BHS), optimism (LOT-R), adjustment to cancer (MAC), and costs (TIC-P, EQ-5D, PRODISQ). Discussion: Meaning-focused coping is key to adjustment to life after cancer, however, there is a lack of evidence based psychological interventions in this area. Many cancer survivors experience feelings of loneliness and alienation, and have a need for peer support, therefore a group method in particular, can be beneficial for sustaining or enhancing a sense of meaning. If this MCGP-CS is effective for cancer survivors, it can be implemented in the practice of psycho-oncology care.

KW - Psychology

KW - Health sciences

KW - Cancer

KW - Cost-effectiveness

KW - Effectiveness

KW - Existential distress

KW - Group psychotherapy

KW - Meaning

KW - Psycho-oncology

KW - Survivorship

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896733643&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/b825f3af-92d9-3bf9-bfa0-3dfdcee17d55/

U2 - 10.1186/1471-244X-14-22

DO - 10.1186/1471-244X-14-22

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 24467861

VL - 14

JO - BMC Psychiatry

JF - BMC Psychiatry

SN - 1471-244X

IS - 1

M1 - 22

ER -