TY - JOUR

T1 - Can a brief psychological intervention prevent anxiety or depressive disorders in cancer patients? A randomised controlled trial.

AU - Pitceathly, C

AU - Maguire, P

AU - Fletcher, Ian

AU - Parle, M

AU - Tomenson, B

AU - Creed, F

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Background: We tested whether a brief psychological intervention could prevent anxiety or depressive disorders among newly diagnosed cancer patients.Patients and methods: Patients free of anxiety or depressive disorder were randomised to receive immediate intervention (start of cancer treatment), delayed intervention (8 weeks after starting treatment) or usual care. They were stratified according to risk of developing anxiety or depressive disorders. Primary outcome was measured using a standardised psychiatric interview to detect any anxiety or depressive disorder at 6 and 12 months following the cancer diagnosis. Analyses used conditional odds logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, concerns and past history to compare outcome of all intervention patients with usual care.Results: A total of 465 patients were recruited. In all, 313 (79%) of the 397 well enough to be interviewed completed the study. At 12 months, there was no difference between the groups receiving the intervention and usual care [odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41–1.17, P = 0.17]. In high-risk patients, those who received the intervention were less likely to develop an anxiety or depressive disorder compared with those who received usual care (OR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.29–1.00, P = 0.050). In low-risk patients, there was no difference (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 0.51–4.43, P = 0.47).Conclusion: A brief intervention, delivered by nonspecialists, promoted adjustment among newly diagnosed cancer patients at high risk of developing anxiety or depressive disorders.

AB - Background: We tested whether a brief psychological intervention could prevent anxiety or depressive disorders among newly diagnosed cancer patients.Patients and methods: Patients free of anxiety or depressive disorder were randomised to receive immediate intervention (start of cancer treatment), delayed intervention (8 weeks after starting treatment) or usual care. They were stratified according to risk of developing anxiety or depressive disorders. Primary outcome was measured using a standardised psychiatric interview to detect any anxiety or depressive disorder at 6 and 12 months following the cancer diagnosis. Analyses used conditional odds logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, concerns and past history to compare outcome of all intervention patients with usual care.Results: A total of 465 patients were recruited. In all, 313 (79%) of the 397 well enough to be interviewed completed the study. At 12 months, there was no difference between the groups receiving the intervention and usual care [odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41–1.17, P = 0.17]. In high-risk patients, those who received the intervention were less likely to develop an anxiety or depressive disorder compared with those who received usual care (OR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.29–1.00, P = 0.050). In low-risk patients, there was no difference (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 0.51–4.43, P = 0.47).Conclusion: A brief intervention, delivered by nonspecialists, promoted adjustment among newly diagnosed cancer patients at high risk of developing anxiety or depressive disorders.

KW - anxiety or depressive disorder

KW - cancer patients

KW - psychological intervention

KW - randomised controlled trial

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=65549088596&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/annonc/mdn708

DO - 10.1093/annonc/mdn708

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:65549088596

VL - 20

SP - 928

EP - 934

JO - Annals of Oncology

JF - Annals of Oncology

SN - 0923-7534

IS - 5

ER -