title: Group versus individual stress management intervention in breast cancer patients for fatigue and emotional reactivity: a randomised intervention study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fatigue and emotional reactivity are common among women suffering from breast cancer and might detrimentally affect these women's quality of life. This study evaluates if the stress management delivered either in a group or individual setting would improve fatigue and emotional reactivity among women with a newly diagnosed breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (n = 304) who reported elevated levels of distress at three-month post-inclusion were randomised between stress management in a group (GSM) (n = 77) or individual (ISM) (n = 78) setting. Participation was declined by 149 women. Participants completed the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) and the Everyday Life Stress Scale (ELSS) at the time of inclusion, 3- and 12-month post-inclusion. Analyses were made according to intention to treat and per-protocol principles. Mann-Whitney tests were used to examine differences between the two intervention groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were detected between the GSM and ISM groups on fatigue or emotional reactivity. In addition, there were no changes over time for these outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no differences between the two intervention arms with reference to fatigue or emotional reactivity; however, a clinically interesting finding was the low number of women who were interested in participating in a psychosocial intervention. This finding may have clinical implications when psychosocial support is offered to women with a newly diagnosed breast cancer and also in the planning of future studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors.forename: Ritva
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rissanen
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arving
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahlgren
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires