title: A cognitive-existential intervention to improve existential and global quality of life in cancer patients: A pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We developed a specific cognitive-existential intervention to improve existential distress in nonmetastatic cancer patients. The present study reports the feasibility of implementing and evaluating this intervention, which involved 12 weekly sessions in both individual and group formats, and explores the efficacy of the intervention on existential and global quality of life (QoL) measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Some 33 nonmetastatic cancer patients were randomized between the group intervention, the individual intervention, and the usual condition of care. Evaluation of the intervention on the existential and global QoL of patients was performed using the existential well-being subscale and the global scale of the McGill Quality of Life (MQoL) Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All participants agreed that their participation in the program helped them deal with their illness and their personal life. Some 88.9% of participants agreed that this program should be proposed for all cancer patients, and 94.5% agreed that this intervention helped them to reflect on the meaning of their life. At post-intervention, both existential and psychological QoL improved in the group intervention versus usual care (p = 0.086 and 0.077, respectively). At the three-month follow-up, global and psychological QoL improved in the individual intervention versus usual care (p = 0.056 and 0.047, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study confirms the relevance of the intervention and the feasibility of the recruitment and randomization processes. The data strongly suggest a potential efficacy of the intervention for existential and global quality of life, which will have to be confirmed in a larger study.
authors: Faculty of Pharmacy,Laval University,Québec City,Quebec,Canada.
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Gagnon
authors: Équipe de recherche Michel-Sarrazin en Oncologie psychosociale et Soins palliatifs,Research Center,Oncology Division,CHU de Québec - L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec,Québec City,Quebec,Canada.
authors: Lise
authors: L
authors: Fillion
authors: Équipe de recherche Michel-Sarrazin en Oncologie psychosociale et Soins palliatifs,Research Center,Oncology Division,CHU de Québec - L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec,Québec City,Quebec,Canada.
authors: Marie-Anik
authors: MA
authors: Robitaille
authors: Department of Palliative Care,CHU de Québec - L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec,Québec City,Quebec,Canada.
authors: Michèle
authors: M
authors: Girard
authors: Équipe de recherche Michel-Sarrazin en Oncologie psychosociale et Soins palliatifs,Research Center,Oncology Division,CHU de Québec - L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec,Québec City,Quebec,Canada.
authors: François
authors: F
authors: Tardif
authors: Équipe de recherche Michel-Sarrazin en Oncologie psychosociale et Soins palliatifs,Research Center,Oncology Division,CHU de Québec - L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec,Québec City,Quebec,Canada.
authors: Jean-Philippe
authors: JP
authors: Cochrane
authors: Équipe de recherche Michel-Sarrazin en Oncologie psychosociale et Soins palliatifs,Research Center,Oncology Division,CHU de Québec - L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec,Québec City,Quebec,Canada.
authors: Joanie
authors: J
authors: Le Moignan Moreau
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,New York.
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Breitbart
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005086:Existentialism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D011792:Quebec; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cancer; Cognitive–existential intervention; Existential; Quality of life