Group interventions to reduce emotional distress and fatigue in breast cancer patients: a 9-month follow-up pragmatic trial
Mené en Belgique sur 123 patientes atteintes d'un cancer du sein, cet essai compare l'efficacité, du point de vue de la réduction de la détresse psychologique, des troubles du sommeil et de la fatigue, de trois interventions menées pendant 9 mois, une psychothérapie comportementale, la pratique de yoga et la pratique de l'auto-hypnose
Background: Long-term effects of psychosocial interventions to reduce emotional distress, sleep difficulties, and fatigue of breast cancer patients are rarely examined. We aim to assess the effectiveness of three group interventions, based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), yoga, and self-hypnosis, in comparison to a control group at a 9-month follow-up. Methods: A total of 123 patients chose to participate in one of the interventions. A control group was set up for those who agreed not to participate. Emotional distress, fatigue, and sleep quality were assessed before (T0) and after interventions (T1), and at 3-month (T2) and 9-month follow-ups (T3). Results: Nine months after interventions, there was a decrease of anxiety (P=0.000), depression (P=0.000), and fatigue (P=0.002) in the hypnosis group, and a decrease of anxiety (P=0.024) in the yoga group. There were no significant improvements for all the investigated variables in the CBT and control groups. Conclusions: Our results showed that mind–body interventions seem to be an interesting psychological approach to improve the well-being of breast cancer patients. Further research is needed to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of action of such interventions and their long-term effects on quality of life.