title: Stress management training for breast cancer surgery patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the psychological effects of a pre-surgical stress management training (SMT) in cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stress management training comprised four sessions in total: on 5 days and 1 day pre-surgery and on 2 days and 1 month post-surgery. Patients also received audio CDs with relaxation and coping skills exercises. Patients were randomly assigned to the SMT (N = 34) or a regular care condition (N = 36). Depression, anxiety, quality of life, perception of control, fatigue, pain, sleep problems, and surgery-related somatic symptoms were measured at Day 6 and Day 1 pre-surgery, and Day 2, 5, 30 and 90 post-surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depression and fatigue decreased in the intervention group and increased in the control group, leading to significant group differences at Day 2 (fatigue) and Day 5 post-surgery (fatigue and depression). It also appeared that surgery-related symptoms had increased more in the control group 3 months post-surgery than in the SMT group. No intervention effects were observed for anxiety, pain, and sleep problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of a short psychological intervention is effective in reducing depression and fatigue in the post-surgical period, although the effects are of short duration.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Psycho-Oncology, Helen Dowling Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands. bgarssen@hdi.nl
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garssen
authors.forename: Martijn F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Boomsma
authors.forename: Eltica de Jager
authors.initials: Ede J
authors.lastname: Meezenbroek
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Porsild
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berkhof
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berbee
authors.forename: Adriaan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: Sybren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Rob H J
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Beelen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001007:Anxiety / Q000628:therapy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012064:Relaxation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome