Enhanced self-efficacy after a self-management programme in pituitary disease: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Psychology
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Patients with pituitary disease experience reduced Quality of Life (QoL) despite medical treatment.
• Psychological and social factors significantly impact QoL in pituitary disease.
• The effectiveness of self-management interventions (SMI) for these issues in patients and partners remains unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Patient and Partner Education Programme for Pituitary disease (PPEP-Pituitary) intervention.
• To assess the effects of a novel SMI on patients with pituitary disease and their partners.
• To determine if the intervention improves psychosocial outcomes and QoL.

Main Methods:

• A multicentre randomized controlled trial involving 174 patients and 63 partners.
• Participants were assigned to either the PPEP-Pituitary intervention or a control group.
• Assessments included self-efficacy, mood, illness perceptions, coping, and QoL at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Patients reported improved mood post-intervention and sustained higher self-efficacy.
• Partners showed increased vitality and reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms at follow-up.
• While patients initially reported less bother from mood problems, this increased at 6 months, returning to baseline levels.

Conclusions:

• The PPEP-Pituitary intervention shows promising results for improving psychosocial well-being in patients with pituitary disease and their partners.
• This study is the first to evaluate a SMI targeting psychosocial issues in this population.
• Further research is recommended to refine and integrate this SMI into routine clinical care.