title: Comparison of psychosocial outcomes in head and neck cancer patients receiving a coping strategies intervention and control subjects receiving no intervention.
abstract: This feasibility study aimed at comparing psychosocial outcomes in head and neck cancer patients receiving the Nucare program with a group of control subjects receiving no intervention. A prospective, nonrandomized study design was used. The Nucare program, a short-term psychoeducational coping strategies intervention, was the test intervention. Control subjects were matched to intervention subjects by cancer stage and time since cancer diagnosis. Outcomes were quality of life and depressive symptoms evaluated at baseline and 3 to 4 months later. One hundred thirty-eight subjects were recruited, and outcome data were available on 101 subjects. At outcome evaluation, compared with their baseline scores, the intervention group had improved physical and social functioning, global quality of life, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms; the control group showed no changes in quality of life or depressive symptoms. The results suggest that the Nucare program may improve quality of life and reduce depressive symptoms in head and neck cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.
authors.forename: Larissa D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nicolau
authors.forename: Salah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahmud
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Edgar
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hier
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: Eduardo L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric