Effectiveness of brief psychosocial support for patients with cancer and their relatives: a quasi-experimental evaluation of cancer counselling centres

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of brief psychosocial support for patients with cancer and their relatives regarding their mental health.

Design: Quasi-experimental controlled trial with measurements at three time points (baseline, after 2 weeks and after 12 weeks).

Setting: The intervention group (IG) was recruited at two cancer counselling centres in Germany. The control group (CG) included patients with cancer or relatives who did not seek support.

Participants: In total, n=885 participants were recruited and n=459 were eligible for the analysis (IG, n=264; CG, n=195).

Intervention: One to two psychosocial support sessions (approximately hour) provided by a psycho-oncologist or social worker.

Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome was distress. The secondary outcomes were anxiety and depressive symptoms, well-being, cancer-specific and generic quality of life (QoL), self-efficacy and fatigue.

Results: The linear mixed model analysis showed significant differences between IG and CG at follow-up for distress (d=0.36), p=0.001), depressive (d=0.22), p=0.005) and anxiety symptoms (d=0.22), p=0.003), well-being (d=0.26, p=0.002), QoL (QoL mental; d=0.26, p=0.003), self-efficacy (d=0.21, p=0.011) and QoL (global; d=0.27, p=0.009). The changes were not significant for QoL (physical; d=0.04, p=0.618), cancer-specific QoL (symptoms; d=0.13, p=0.093), cancer-specific QoL (functional; d=0.08, p=0.274) and fatigue (d=0.04, p=0.643).

Conclusion: The results suggest that brief psychosocial support is associated with the improvement of mental health of patients with cancer and their relatives after 3 months.

Trial registration number: DRKS00015516.