title: A randomized evaluation of quality-of-life therapy with patients awaiting lung transplantation.
abstract: Research shows that patients wait-listed for lung transplantation have very poor quality of life (QOL). This study evaluated the effectiveness of Quality-of-Life Therapy (QOLT) in improving QOL, mood disturbance and social intimacy in adults awaiting lung transplantation. Thirty-five adults were randomized to QOLT (n = 17) or supportive therapy (ST; n = 18) and received individual, telephone-based treatment sessions. QOL, mood and social intimacy assessments were conducted at baseline and at 1 and 3 months after treatment. Repeated measures analyses of variance showed significant Condition x Time interaction effects for all three primary outcome measures. Subsequent post hoc analyses showed that the two groups did not differ significantly at baseline, but did differ significantly at the 1- and 3-month follow-up assessments. When compared to ST patients, QOLT patients had significantly higher QOL scores at the 1- and 3-month assessments, lower mood disturbance scores at the 3-month assessment, and higher social intimacy scores at the 1-month assessment. Results indicate that a patient's QOL, mood state and relationship with the primary caregiver can be positively impacted by a brief psychological intervention prior to lung transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Center for Behavioral Health Research in Organ Transplantation and Donation, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA. jrodrigu@phhp.ufl.edu
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rodrigue
authors.forename: Maher A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Baz
authors.forename: Michelle R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Widows
authors.forename: Shawna L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ehlers
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001519:Behavior; D017028:Caregivers; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists