Recruitment and retention of palliative cancer patients and their partners participating in a longitudinal evaluation of a psychosocial retreat program.
OBJECTIVE
The negative impact of a palliative cancer diagnosis on the quality of life of patients and their partners is well documented. Unfortunately, research on interventions to improve psychological and spiritual well-being of these couples has been considered impractical because of the deleterious influence of disease progression on participation. This study evaluated the feasibility of offering the Tapestry Retreat, an intensive psychosocial intervention for palliative care patients and their partners.


METHODS
Participants in the Tapestry Retreat included 15 patients with advanced breast, prostate, or colon cancer and their partners (n = 30). Also included was a natural history group consisting of 20 patients and their partners (n = 40). All couples completed questionnaires related to quality of life, distress, marital satisfaction, and existential concerns at baseline, after the retreat or 1 month after baseline, and then again at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.


RESULTS
Patients in the Tapestry group were significantly more likely to be women who had received prior psychological support and were less comfortable with their finances. Partners attending the Tapestry retreat were also more likely to have received prior psychological support.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite issues with recruitment and retention, retreat participation was considered feasible. Recommendations for future research are discussed.
Garland
Sheila N
SN
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Carlson
Linda E
LE
Marr
Hubert
H
Simpson
Steve
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*