Cognitive-behavioral stress management improves stress-management skills and quality of life in men recovering from treatment of prostate carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The current study evaluated the efficacy of a 10-week, group-based, cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention relative to a half-day seminar in improving quality of life (QoL) among men who were treated for localized prostate carcinoma (PC) with either radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiation therapy.


METHODS
Ninety-two men were assigned randomly to either the 10-week CBSM group intervention or a 1-day seminar (control group). The intervention was designed to improve QoL by helping participants to identify and effectively manage stressful experiences and was focused on the treatment-related sequelae of PC.


RESULTS
A hierarchical regression model was used to predict postintervention QoL. The final model, including all predictors and relevant covariates (i.e., income, baseline QoL, ethnicity, and group condition), explained 62.1% of the variance in QoL scores. Group assignment was a significant predictor (beta = - 0.14; P = 0.03) of QoL after the 10-week intervention period, even after controlling for ethnicity, income, and baseline QoL. Post-hoc analyses revealed that individuals in the CBSM intervention condition showed significant improvements in QoL relative to men in the 1-day control seminar. Improved QoL was mediated by greater perceived stress-management skill.


CONCLUSIONS
A 10-week cognitive-behavioral group intervention was effective in improving the QoL in men treated for PC, and these changes were associated significantly with intervention-associated increases in perceived stress-management skills.
Penedo
Frank J
FJ
Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33134, USA. fpenedo@miami.edu
Dahn
Jason R
JR
Molton
Ivan
I
Gonzalez
Jeffrey S
JS
Kinsinger
David
D
Roos
Bernard A
BA
Carver
Charles S
CS
Schneiderman
Neil
N
Antoni
Michael H
MH
D000368:Aged; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000523:psychology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D016896:Treatment Outcome