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A Self-Regulatory Intervention for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Pilot Randomized Trial

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Research is yet to investigate whether psychological interventions delivered early after diagnosis can benefit patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief self-regulatory intervention (targeting illness perceptions and coping) at improving HNC patient health-related quality of life (HRQL).

Methods

A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which 64 patients were assigned to receive three sessions with a health psychologist in addition to standard care or standard care alone. Participants completed questionnaires assessing HRQL, general distress, and illness perceptions at baseline and again 3 and 6 months later.

Results

Compared to the control group, patients who received the intervention had increased treatment control perceptions at 3 months (p = .01), and increased social quality of life at 6 months (p = .01). The intervention was particularly helpful for patients exhibiting distress at baseline.

Conclusion

A brief psychological intervention following HNC diagnosis can improve patient perceptions of treatment and social quality of life over time. Such interventions could be targeted to patients who are distressed in order to confer the greatest benefit.

Trial Registration Number

12614000813684.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Amy E. Richardson PGDipSci, Geraldine Tennant PhD, DipHealthPsych, MNZPsS & Elizabeth Broadbent PhD

  2. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Randall P. Morton MBBS, MSc, FRACS

Authors
  1. Amy E. Richardson PGDipSci
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  2. Geraldine Tennant PhD, DipHealthPsych, MNZPsS
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  3. Randall P. Morton MBBS, MSc, FRACS
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  4. Elizabeth Broadbent PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elizabeth Broadbent PhD.

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Funding

The study was funded by grants from the Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation (project 3705915) and the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust (project 3706007).

Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards

Authors Richardson, Tennant, Morton and Broadbent declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures, including the informed consent process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

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Richardson, A.E., Tennant, G., Morton, R.P. et al. A Self-Regulatory Intervention for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Pilot Randomized Trial. ann. behav. med. 51, 629–641 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-017-9885-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-017-9885-1

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