Background: No study has tested Supportive -Expressive Group Therapy (SEGT) in cancer patients with an established psychiatric diagnosis. The aim of this 6-month follow-up study was to evaluate breast cancer patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of affective syndromes participating to the SEGT, and a group of breast cancer patients with no ICD-10 diagnosis. Methods: 214 patients were examined by using the ICD-10, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Mini-Mental Adjustment-to-Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Openness Scale (OS) and the Cancer-Worries Inventory (CWI). Those having an ICD-10 diagnosis of affective syndromes received 16-24 sessions of SEGT (90-minute once a week), while those with no ICD-10 diagnosis were followed-up. A second assessment for both samples took place 6 months later (T1). Results: 78 (36.4%) patients resulted to be positive for an ICD-10 diagnosis of affective syndromes at T0, while 127 (59.4%) did not report any ICD-10 diagnosis. Among the former, 54 patients participated to the SEGT. At T1 significant differences were observed on all the dimensions of the BSI, Hopelessness and Anxious Preoccupation (Mini-MAC), OS and CWI. No variable at T0 was predictor of BSI-distress as measured at T1. Among those with no ICD-10 diagnosis at T0, 8.2 % resulted positive for an affective disorders at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: This study suggested that SEGT is effective for breast cancer patients with affective disorders and indicated the need for prospective evaluation in order to identify those who may develop psychopathology across time.
Effects of Supportive-Expressive Group therapy in breast cancer patients with affective disorders. A pilot study
GRASSI, Luigi;SABATO, Silvana;ROSSI, Elena;MARMAI, Luciana;BIANCOSINO, Bruno
2010
Abstract
Background: No study has tested Supportive -Expressive Group Therapy (SEGT) in cancer patients with an established psychiatric diagnosis. The aim of this 6-month follow-up study was to evaluate breast cancer patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of affective syndromes participating to the SEGT, and a group of breast cancer patients with no ICD-10 diagnosis. Methods: 214 patients were examined by using the ICD-10, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Mini-Mental Adjustment-to-Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Openness Scale (OS) and the Cancer-Worries Inventory (CWI). Those having an ICD-10 diagnosis of affective syndromes received 16-24 sessions of SEGT (90-minute once a week), while those with no ICD-10 diagnosis were followed-up. A second assessment for both samples took place 6 months later (T1). Results: 78 (36.4%) patients resulted to be positive for an ICD-10 diagnosis of affective syndromes at T0, while 127 (59.4%) did not report any ICD-10 diagnosis. Among the former, 54 patients participated to the SEGT. At T1 significant differences were observed on all the dimensions of the BSI, Hopelessness and Anxious Preoccupation (Mini-MAC), OS and CWI. No variable at T0 was predictor of BSI-distress as measured at T1. Among those with no ICD-10 diagnosis at T0, 8.2 % resulted positive for an affective disorders at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions: This study suggested that SEGT is effective for breast cancer patients with affective disorders and indicated the need for prospective evaluation in order to identify those who may develop psychopathology across time.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
