Efficacy of stress management program for depressive patients with advanced head and neck cancer: A single-center pilot study

Kanako Ichikura; Nao Nakayama; Shiho Matsuoka; Yosuke Ariizumi; Takuro Sumi; Taro Sugimoto; Yuko Fukase; Norio Murayama; Hirokuni Tagaya; Takahiro Asakage; Eisuke Matsushima

doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2020.06.003

Efficacy of stress management program for depressive patients with advanced head and neck cancer: A single-center pilot study

Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2020 Sep-Dec;20(3):213-221. doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2020.06.003. Epub 2020 Jul 2.

Authors

Kanako Ichikura^{1

2}, Nao Nakayama³, Shiho Matsuoka², Yosuke Ariizumi⁴, Takuro Sumi⁴, Taro Sugimoto^{4

5}, Yuko Fukase¹, Norio Murayama^{1

6}, Hirokuni Tagaya¹, Takahiro Asakage⁴, Eisuke Matsushima²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Japan.
² Liaison Psychiatry and Psycho-oncology Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
³ Department of Psychosomatic and Palliative Medicine, Medical Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
⁴ Section of Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
⁵ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital, Japan.
⁶ Department of Health Science, School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Japan.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Background/objective: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) have some problems such as dysfunction of breathing, eating, and/or speaking. The aim of this study was to examine efficacy of the stress management program for HNC patients (SMAP-HNC) compared with usual care (UC).

Method: We conducted a pilot study of SMAP-HNC for depressive HNC patients between January 2016 and March 2018. The program contains psychoeducation, stress coping training, and operant reinforcement. The outcome measure was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT), and Brief Coping Inventory (COPE).

Results: Twenty patients were randomly assigned to SMAP-HNC and UC group. Although a small sample sizes, there was no significant difference of depression score change between SMAP-HNC and UC group (Hedges'd g -0.83; 95% CI -1.80 to 0.13).

Conclusions: It was the first study to conduct stress management program for HNC patients. Unfortunately, our trial designed as a randomized controlled trial is underpowered to make conclusion as to the efficacy of SMAP-HNC. However, there are some valuable suggestions to modify the stress management program in future.

Antecedentes/objetivo: Los pacientes con cáncer de cabeza y cuello (CCC) tienen algunos problemas como trastornos de la respiración, la alimentación y/o el habla. El objetivo de este estudio fue examinar la eficacia de un programa de control del estrés para pacientes con CCC (SMAP-HNC) en comparación con la atención habitual (AH).

Método: Llevamos a cabo un estudio piloto de SMAP-HNC para pacientes depresivos con CCC entre enero de 2016 y marzo de 2018. El programa contiene psicoeducación, entrenamiento para afrontar el estrés y refuerzo operante. Las medidas de los resultado fueron la Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), la Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) y el Brief Coping Inventory (COPE).

Resultados: Veinte pacientes fueron asignados aleatoriamente al grupo SMAP-HNC y AH. Aunque los tamaños de las muestras son pequeños, no hubo diferencias significativas en el cambio en el puntaje de depresión entre el grupo SMAP-HNC y el grupo AH (g de Heges’s -0,83; IC del 95%: -1,80 a 0,13).

Conclusiones: Es el primer estudio en emplera un programa de control del estrés para pacientes con CCC. Desafortunadamente, nuestro ensayo diseñado como un ensayo controlado aleatorio tiene poco poder para llegar a una conclusión sobre la eficacia de SMAP-HNC. Sin embargo, hay algunas sugerencias valiosas para modificar el programa de control del estrés en el futuro.

Keywords: Cancer; Depression; Experiment; Psycho-oncology; Stress.

Abstract in English, Spanish

Abstract
in English, Spanish