Development and initial evaluation of a telephone-delivered, behavioral activation, and problem-solving treatment

Kathleen D Lyons1, Jay G Hull, Peter A Kaufman

  • 1a Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA; and Cancer Control Program of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center , Lebanon , NH , USA.

The purpose of this research was to develop and pilot test an intervention to optimize functional recovery for breast cancer survivors. Over two studies, 31 women enrolled in a goal-setting program via telephone. All eligible women enrolled (37% of those screened) and 66% completed all study activities. Completers were highly satisfied with the intervention, using it to address, on average, four different challenging activities. The longitudinal analysis showed a main effect of time for overall quality of life (F(5, 43.1) = 5.1, p = 0.001) and improvements in active coping (F (3, 31.7) = 4.9, p = 0.007), planning (F (3, 36.0) = 4.1, p = 0.01), reframing (F (3, 29.3) = 8.5, p < 0.001), and decreases in self-blame (F (3,31.6) = 4.3, p = 0.01). The intervention is feasible and warrants further study to determine its efficacy in fostering recovery and maximizing activity engagement after cancer treatment.

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