Cognitive-behavior group intervention for relatives of cancer patients: a controlled study

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of cognitive-behavior (CB) group intervention on the psychological distress and adjustment of relatives of cancer patients with a primary disease.

A total of 52 relatives of cancer patients participated in a CB group intervention, whereas another 52 served as control subjects. All participants completed preintervention and postintervention measures and a 4-month follow-up questionnaire consisting of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), the Psychological Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS), the Mini Sleep Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; participants in the group intervention also reported compliance with home practice.

Participants in the intervention group scored significantly lower than the control subjects on the BSI and the PAIS, recorded fewer sleep difficulties in the postintervention and follow-up measures, and reported higher perceived support in the follow-up measure. By contrast, no significant change was observed in the control group during the study period. On the reliable change index, 30.8% of the intervention participants but only 3.9% of the control subjects had statistically significant improvements in their psychological distress. Improvement in the intervention group was associated with higher compliance with home practice.

This study provides evidence for the positive effect of a CB group intervention for family members, which lasted for 4 months after the intervention ended.