Psycho-oncology
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The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the affective and cognitive states of neurooncological patients prior to the neurosurgical treatment to assess associations between distress levels and neuropsychological test performance in this sample and setting. ⋯ Our results suggest that, for a large variety of widely used neuropsychological measures and for most neurooncological patients, the preoperative neuropsychological baseline assessment can be considered valid and dependable. In patients with extreme levels of distress, however, distinct cognitive domains might be differentially affected.
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Few studies have investigated the impact of providing end-of-life care on family caregivers' depressive symptoms over time, especially until the patient's death. The purpose of this study was to identify the course and predictors of depressive symptoms in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients until they died. ⋯ Psychological well-being of caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients deteriorated in response to progression of the patient's disease and impending death. Effective interventions should be developed and provided to high-risk caregivers as identified in our study. Increasing caregivers' strength of perceived social support, facilitating their confidence in caregiving, and alleviating their subjective burden may lessen the development of depressive symptoms in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients throughout the dying process.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of self-directed stress management training and home-based exercise on quality of life in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.
Research has shown that self-directed stress management training improves mental well-being in patients undergoing chemotherapy. The present study extends this work by evaluating separate and combined effects of stress management training and home-based exercise. ⋯ Only the combined intervention yielded effects on quality of life outcomes, and these were limited to anxiety and depression. These findings are consistent with evidence that only the combined intervention yielded increases in both exercise and stress management activity. Future research should investigate ways to augment this intervention to enhance its benefits.
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Informal caregivers of people with advanced cancer experience many negative impacts as a result of their role. There is a lack of suitable measures specifically designed to assess their experience. This study aimed to develop a new measure to assess self-efficacy in caregivers of people with advanced cancer. ⋯ This study has developed a new instrument to assess self-efficacy in caregivers of people with advanced cancer. The result is a four-factor, 21-item instrument with demonstrated reliability and validity.
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Time since cancer diagnosis is rarely accounted for in population-based studies of health-related quality of life (HRQL) among cancer survivors. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relationship between time since cancer diagnosis and impairments in HRQL among short-term, long-term and very long-term cancer survivors in the general population. ⋯ Although HRQL was similar between short-term, long-term and very long-term survivors, when compared with the background population, findings suggest that some functional impairments and symptoms are present even at 5-10 YSD.