Badger, T. A., Segrin, C., Figueredo, A. J., Harrington, J., Sheppard, K., Passalacqua, S., . . . Bishop, M. (2011). Psychosocial interventions to improve quality of life in prostate cancer survivors and their intimate or family partners. Quality of Life Research, 20, 833–844.

DOI Link

Study Purpose

To test the effectiveness of two telephone-delivered psychosocial interventions for maintaining and improving quality of life (QOL).

Intervention Characteristics/Basic Study Process

The first intervention was a telephone interpersonal counseling (TIP-C) intervention delivered weekly for eight weeks to prostate cancer survivors and every other week, for four times, to partners. The second intervention included eight weekly health education attention conditions (HEACs) delivered by telephone.

Sample Characteristics

  • Seventy-one survivors (100% male) and 70 partners (5.7% male, 94.2% female) were included.
  • Mean age was 66.99 for survivors and 61.13 for partners.
  • Patients were survivors of prostate cancer.

Setting

  • Single site  
  • Home
     

Phase of Care and Clinical Applications

  • Patients were undergoing the long-term follow-up phase of care.
  • The study has clinical applicability for late effects and survivorship and elderly care.
     

Study Design

The study used a repeated measures experimental design.

Measurement Instruments/Methods

  • Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD)    
  • Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
  • University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA PCI)
  • Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI)
  • Social Well-Being Scale
  • Perceived Social Support–Family Scale (PSS–Fa)
  • Quality of Life, Breast Cancer version–Spiritual Well-Being subscale 

Results

Improvements in depression, negative affect, stress, fatigue, and spiritual well-being were significantly higher for survivors in the HEAC intervention than in the TIP-C intervention. Partners in the HEAC intervention showed significantly greater improvements in depression, fatigue, social support from family members, social well-being, and spiritual well-being compared to partners in the TIP-C intervention.

Conclusions

Both interventions were effective in improving multiple dimensions of QOL for men with prostate cancer and their partners.

Limitations

The study had a small sample size, with less than 100 participants.

Nursing Implications

Both interventions were effective, but further research is needed.