Efficacy of short-term life-review interviews on the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients.

Abstract

CONTEXT:

There is a little information about effective psychotherapies to enhance the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES:

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).

CONCLUSION:

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.

• Authors: Michiyo Ando, Tatsuya Morita, Tatsuo Akechi, Takuya Okamoto, Japanese Task Force for Spiritual Care
• Journal: Journal of pain and symptom management (J Pain Symptom Manage) Vol. 39 Issue 6 Pg. 993-1002 (Jun 2010) ISSN: 1873-6513 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 20538183 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Aged
• Anxiety (psychology, therapy)
• Chronic Disease
• Depression (psychology, therapy)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms (psychology)
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Spirituality
• Terminal Care (psychology)
• Terminally Ill (psychology)
• Treatment Outcome