Coping and communication-enhancing intervention versus supportive counseling for women diagnosed with gynecological cancers.
This study compared the efficacy of 2 psychological interventions, a coping and communication-enhancing intervention (CCI) and supportive counseling (SC), in reducing depressive symptoms and cancer-specific distress of women diagnosed with gynecological cancer. Demographic, medical, and psychological moderators of intervention effects were evaluated. Three hundred fifty-three women with gynecological cancer were randomly assigned to 7 sessions of CCI, 7 sessions of SC, or usual care. Intent-to-treat growth curve analyses indicated that participants assigned to CCI and SC reported lower depressive symptoms than participants assigned to usual care at the 6- and 9-month follow-ups. Women with greater than average increases in physician-rated physical symptoms and/or women who were more expressive of positive emotions benefited more from SC than women with lower than average increases in symptom scores and/or women who were less expressive of positive emotions. These findings suggest that both interventions may be effective in treating depressive symptoms among patients with gynecological cancer. Future research should evaluate whether bolstering both psychological interventions with additional intervention sessions and topics in the disease trajectory will result in persistent long-term effects.
Manne
Sharon L
SL
Population Science Division.
Rubin
Stephen
S
Division of Gynecological Oncology.
Edelson
Mitchell
M
Division of Medical Oncology.
Rosenblum
Norman
N
Division of Gynecological Oncology.
Bergman
Cynthia
C
Division of Medical Oncology.
Hernandez
Enrique
E
Department of Medicine.
Carlson
John
J
Department of Medicine.
Rocereto
Thomas
T
Department of Medicine.
Winkel
Gary
G
Department of Psychology.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003142:Communication; D003376:Counseling; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires