Which cancer patients benefit most from a brief, group, coping skills program?

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of a number of variables on the improvements in quality of life of some 400 cancer patients who completed a brief, group program providing psychosocial support and training in coping skills.

The factors tested were: patient gender, age, marital status, religion, education level, diagnostic site, recurrence status, expectations of the course, previous experience in self-help techniques, and different group leaders. Three assessment instruments were used, the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Functional Living Index for Cancer (FLIC), and the Stanford Inventory of Cancer Patient Adjustment (SICPA). Assessments were made at three time points.

The overall finding was that the program improved mood and enhanced quality of life for most cancer patients: there was no evidence that it was more or less effective for subgroups based on gender, marital status, religious orientation, education level, and previous experience with mental self-help techniques. It was also found that several different group leaders with widely varying experience facilitated similar improvements. However, there was a significant tendency for patients under fifty to improve more by the end of the program, than older patients, although this difference disappeared at the three month follow-up. In addition, patients with recurrent disease showed less improvement in quality of life than those with primary cancer.

The beneficial effects on quality of life of a seven-session group psychoeducational program were seen across a wide range of categories of cancer patients. The generalizability and implications of these findings are briefly discussed.