The effect of a supportive program on coping strategies and stress in women diagnosed with breast cancer: A randomized controlled clinical trial.
Elahe Samami, Forouzan Elyasi, Seyed Nouraddin Mousavinasab and 3 others
PMID 34482657WHAT IT FOUND
Women undergoing chemotherapy who joined a six-session supportive program reported higher problem-focused coping, lower emotion-focused coping and lower stress than routine care, with gains still present one month later.
Key findings
01Problem-focused coping scores increased in the supportive program group compared with routine care immediately after the intervention and one month later.
02Emotion-focused coping scores decreased in the supportive program group compared with routine care immediately after the intervention and one month later.
03Stress scores decreased in the supportive program group compared with routine care immediately after the intervention and one month later.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The trial was single-site in Iran, so results may not transfer to other health systems or cultures. Participants and outcome assessors were not blinded, and coping and stress were self-reported, so expectations could influence scores. Women with severe depression or anxiety, psychiatric disorders, psychiatric drugs or recent psychiatric hospitalization were excluded, so the findings do not apply to patients with major mental health problems. The final analysis included 57 participants, although the sample size calculation required at least 60. Patients from both groups could meet because they came for chemotherapy on different days. This creates a risk of contamination. Follow-up was only one month, so the effect beyond that time is unknown.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest, and Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences funded the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that a brief supportive program is proven to improve coping in all breast cancer patients. The trial was single-site, non-blinded, used self-reported outcomes, excluded women with severe psychiatric problems, and the intervention was delivered by a trained counsellor under supervision.