Badger, T., Segrin, C., Dorros, S.M., Meek, P., & Lopez, A.M. (2007). Depression and anxiety in women with breast cancer and their partners. Nursing Research, 56, 44–53.

This intervention provided telephone-delivered psychosocial interventions. One group received six weeks of telephone-delivered counseling (TIP-C) sessions based on interpersonal psychotherapy/counseling principles, covering the following topics.

• Cancer education
• Social support
• Awareness and management of anxiety symptoms
• Role transitions

The phone calls averaged 34 minutes. Another group received six weeks of telephone-delivered, self-managed exercise protocol information. The exercise protocol consisted of engaging in regular, low-impact exercise (e.g., walking for a prescribed number of minutes at least four times per week). These phone calls averaged 11 minutes. The third group received six weeks of attention control (AC) printed information about breast cancer with brief weekly phone calls averaging 7 minutes. This group did not receive counseling or encouragement to exercise.

A convenience sample was used.

Data were collected at baseline (T1), one week after final call (T2), and one month after final call (T3).

• The study reported on a sample of 96 women with breast cancer and 96 partners (N = 192).
• The sample was randomized to three groups, stratified by stage and treatment.
  • Group 1 had 38 women and 38 partners.
  • Group 2 had 21 women and 19 partners.
  • Group 3 had 33 women and 30 partners.
• There were no significant differences between groups for treatment, stage, history of depression, participation in support groups or counseling, and use of antidepressants or antianxiety medications.

The study used a three-wave repeated measures design with a between-subjects factor (treatment group).

• Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) PLUS Index of Clinical Stress to make eight-item composite index of anxiety
• Mixed-model ANOVAs
• Depression and anxiety treated as separate dependent variables, with T1, T2, and T3 being the within-subject factor
• Three treatment groups act as between-subject factor.
• Group x time
• Paired t tests
• Cronbach’s alphas (reliability) reported across time for women and partners as well as addressing construct validity
• Instruments used have established reliability and validity.

Results showed mixed-model ANOVA significant effect for time (p = 0.001), no significant main effect for treatment group, and significant group x time interaction (p = 0.01).

Both telephone counseling and exercise conditions helped to reduce anxiety in women and their partners, with significant differences (p < 0.001). The AC group did not evidence the same improvement in decreased anxiety, and their partners’ anxiety scores increased.

• The intervention required special training of a psychiatric nurse counselor with oncology expertise to deliver the telephone counseling sessions.
• The 34-minute phone calls (on average) per weekly session (x 2—one for patient and one for partner) required more than one hour per week per couple to deliver the intervention.