A Self-Regulatory Intervention for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Pilot Randomized Trial

Research is yet to investigate whether psychological interventions delivered early after diagnosis can benefit patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief self-regulatory intervention (targeting illness perceptions and coping) at improving HNC patient health-related quality of life (HRQL).

A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which 64 patients were assigned to receive three sessions with a health psychologist in addition to standard care or standard care alone. Participants completed questionnaires assessing HRQL, general distress, and illness perceptions at baseline and again 3 and 6 months later.

Compared to the control group, patients who received the intervention had increased treatment control perceptions at 3 months (p = .01), and increased social quality of life at 6 months (p = .01). The intervention was particularly helpful for patients exhibiting distress at baseline.

A brief psychological intervention following HNC diagnosis can improve patient perceptions of treatment and social quality of life over time. Such interventions could be targeted to patients who are distressed in order to confer the greatest benefit.

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