Efficacy of short-term life-review interviews on the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
There is a little information about effective psychotherapies to enhance the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients.


OBJECTIVE
The primary aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of a one-week Short-Term Life Review for the enhancement of spiritual well-being, using a randomized controlled trial. The secondary aim was to assess the effect of this therapy on anxiety and depression, suffering, and elements of a good death.


METHODS
The subjects were 68 terminally ill cancer patients randomly allocated to a Short-Term Life-Review interview group or a control group. The patients completed questionnaires pre- and post-treatment, including the meaning of life domain from the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual (FACIT-Sp) scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), a numeric scale for psychological suffering, and items from the Good Death Inventory (Hope, Burden, Life Completion, and Preparation).


RESULTS
The FACIT-Sp, Hope, Life Completion, and Preparation scores in the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement compared with those of the control group (FACIT-Sp, P<0.001; Hope, P<0.001; Life Completion, P<0.001; and Preparation, P<0.001). HADS, Burden, and Suffering scores in the intervention group also had suggested greater alleviation of suffering compared with the control group (HADS, P<0.001; Burden, P<0.007; Suffering, P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the Short-Term Life Review is effective in improving the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients, and alleviating psychosocial distress and promoting a good death.
Faculty of Nursing, St. Mary's College, Kurume City, Fukuoka, Japan. andou@st-mary.ac.jp
Michiyo
M
Ando
Tatsuya
T
Morita
Tatsuo
T
Akechi
Takuya
T
Okamoto
D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D029181:Spirituality; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome