Denial in terminal illness: to intervene or not to intervene

This research examined effects of psychosocial intervention on denial-related coping ability in terminally ill cancer patients. Most patients considered deniers were seen using interpersonal denial in the service of preserving relationships important to them. Denial use as a result of intrapsychic impoverishment was seen infrequently. Twenty-four patients with various terminal cancers were assigned to either an experimental (n = 13) or a control (n = 11) group. A pretest versus posttest multifactorial analysis of variance model was used. Experimental subjects received a structured psychosocial intervention just before posttest. Results showed that, as predicted, interpersonal deniers in the experimental group had a statistically significant (p < .005) decrease in denial scores at posttest, whereas denial scores increased in the control group. Data indicate that, in the absence of psychological dysfunction, patients using interpersonal denial may respond favorably to sensitive psychosocial intervention. Still others may benefit only after they have had sufficient time to muster adaptive coping strategies. Areas for further research are suggested.