Influence of catharsis and cognitive therapy on the psychology of patients with lung cancer

Ping HE; Lihui ZHANG; Daifa HUANG

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The negative emotion can directly attenuate the humoral and cell mediated immunity, which contributing to the onset of lung cancer,therefore psychological therapy is crucial for the prevention of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effect of catharsis and cognitive therapy on the psychology of patients with lung cancer, as well as the short-term clinical therapeutic effect, so as to exploring the importance of psychological intervention

DESIGN:

Non-randomized same period control, 11 matched observation

SETTING:

Cadres Therapeutic Ward of Affiliated Second Hospital of China Medical University and Cadres Therapeutic Ward of General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Command of Chinese PLA.

PARTICIPANTS:

Totally 124 patients with lung cancer, received treatment at Cadres Therapeutic Ward of Affiliated Second Hospital in China Medical University and General Hospital of Shenyang Military Area Commaud of Chinese PLA from February 1999 to December 2002, volunteered into this study, were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, all data was paired by 11 according to age, gender, UICC-TUM stage and pathological type, totally 42 pair data were obtained.

METHODS:

All participant received the same chemotherapy and radiotherapy (etoposide carboplatin), the patients in treatment group were given additional emotional catharsis and cognitive therapy at the beginning of treatment once every five days for 1-3 times; And then patients were informed of related cancer knowledge once or twice a week for totally 6 weeks. Before treatment, SCL-90 (including 9 symptomatic factors that divide into five grades 0 score meant never, 1 score was gentle, 2 scores were medium, 3 scores were quite severe and 4 scores were severer) was used to evaluate the psychology of patients; moreover the therapeutic effect was assessed according to WHO standards for lung cancer (focus disappeared for more than 4 weeks is believed of complete relieve; Focus area reduced by above 50% and maintained for 4 weeks is believed of part relieve) MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Scores for SCL-90 and therapeutic effect of two groups before and after treatment

RESULTS:

Totally 42 pairs (84 cases) were remained in the final result duced after treatment in two groups (P ＜ 0.05), but the scores for somatzation, individual sensitivity, depression anxiety and psychosis in treatment group were found lower than corresponding control group after treatment (1.64±0.41, 1.76±0.34; 1.31±0.30, 1.67±0.35; 1.40±0.29, 1.58±0.41;Therapeutic effect The total relieve rate in treatment group was higher than control group, but difference was of no statistical significance (68%,52%, x2=2.381, P ＞ 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

Although the therapeutic effect of catharsis and cognitive therapy is s unobvious short-term in patients with lung cancer, but it can attenuate the negative emotion, such as depression and anxiety, which can improve their psychology and immune-regulating function.