Supportive-affective group experience for persons with life-threatening illness: reducing spiritual, psychological, and death-related distress in dying patients.
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.


METHODS
A group intervention entitled Life-Threatening Illness Supportive-Affective Group Experience (LTI-SAGE) was developed for reducing patient spiritual, emotional, and death-related distress.


METHODS
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.


METHODS
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.
Miller
Douglas K
DK
Center for Aging Research, Indiana University School of medicine, 1050 Wishard Boulevard RG-6, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. dokmille@iupui.edu
Chibnall
John T
JT
Videen
Susan D
SD
Duckro
Paul N
PN
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D029181:Spirituality; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*