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Dignity therapy in Mexican lung cancer patients with emotional distress: Impact on psychological symptoms and quality of life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2021

Ana Gonzalez-Ling Open the ORCID record for Ana Gonzalez-Ling [Opens in a new window] ,
Oscar Galindo Vázquez ,
María Luisa Rascón-Gasca ,
Rebeca Robles  and
Harvey Max Chochinov
Ana Gonzalez-Ling*
Affiliation:
Unidad para la Investigación y Desarrollo de la Psicooncología, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico, Mexico
Oscar Galindo Vázquez
Affiliation:
Unidad para la Investigación y Desarrollo de la Psicooncología, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico, Mexico
María Luisa Rascón-Gasca
Affiliation:
Dirección de Investigaciones Epidemiológicas y Psicosociales, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico, Mexico
Rebeca Robles
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación en Salud Mental Global, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico, Mexico
Harvey Max Chochinov
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
*
Author for correspondence: Ana Gonzalez-Ling, Servicio de Psicooncología, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Calle Av. San Fernando No. 22, Colonia. Sección XVI Ciudad de México, C.P. 14080, Mexico. E-mail: ana.marcela.gzz@gmail.com
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Abstract

Lung cancer (LC) is the most frequent and deadly neoplasm in the world, and patients have shown a tendency to have more emotional distress than other cancer populations. Dignity Therapy (DT) is a brief intervention aimed to improve emotional well-being in patients facing life-threatening illness.

Objective

To analyze the effect of DT on anxiety, depression, hopelessness, emotional distress, dignity-related distress, and quality of life (QoL) in a group of Mexican patients with stage IV LC undergoing active medical treatment with baseline emotional distress.

Method

In this preliminary pretest–posttest study, patients received three sessions of DT and were evaluated with the HADS, Distress Thermometer, Patient Dignity Inventory, single-item questions, and QLQ-30.

Results

In total, 24 out of 29 patients completed the intervention. Statistically significant improvements were found in anxiety, depression, emotional distress, hopelessness, and dignity-related distress with large effect sizes. Patients reported that DT helped them, increased their meaning and purpose in life, their sense of dignity, and their will to live, while it decreased their suffering. No changes were found in QoL.

Significance of results

DT was well accepted and effective in improving the emotional symptoms of LC patients with distress that were undergoing medical treatment. Although more research is warranted to confirm these results, this suggests that DT can be used in the context of Latin-American patients.

Keywords

AnxietyDepressionDistressLung cancerPsycho-oncology
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 20 , Issue 1 , February 2022 , pp. 62 - 68
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

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