Medical and Psychological Intervention for Indian Adult Patients with Cancer - A Randomised Control Study - Annals of Neurosciences 1-9

Sep 30, 2026

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Contemporary cancer care often emphasizes advanced biomedical treatments while overlooking psychological and social challenges that influence patients’ psychosocial well-being. This study evaluates whether adding psychological intervention to treatment as usual improves stress, coping strategies, and quality of life. A pretest–post-test control group design compared TAU alone (n=30) with TAU plus psychological intervention (n=30) including psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and guided imagery. Outcomes were assessed using QSC-R23, Brief Cope Inventory, and EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3.0.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Methods

Participants

Medical and Psychological Intervention for Indian Adult Patients with Cancer: A Randomised Control Study Annals of Neurosciences 1–9 © The Author(s) 2024 Article reuse guidelines: [in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india](in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india)[ ](in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india)DOI: 10. 1177/09727531241244781 [journals.sagepub.com/home/aon](journals.sagepub.com/home/aon) Vijaya Prasad Barre 1, Padmaja G.2, Suvashisa Rana2, Ravi Kumar Saxena3 and Sujata Satapathy 1 Abstract Background: Contemporary cancer care primarily focuses on advanced biomedical treatments, often overlooking the psychological and social challenges associated with the illness (psychosocial factors). This oversight can undermine the efficacy of healthcare and subsequently impact the overall well-being of cancer patients. There is a widespread consensus among medical professionals that psychological factors play a crucial role in the care and treatment of cancer patients. Purpose: The main aim of this study was to examine the effects of treatment as usual (TAU) and a combined intervention (CI) of TAU and psychological intervention (PI) on stress, coping strategies and quality of life among adult cancer patients. Methods: The present study employed a pretest–post-test control group design comprising two groups—Group I (a control group involving TAU only) and Group II (an experimental group involving TAU and PI). In Group I (n1 = 30), the patients with cancer were randomly selected from a pool of 105 cancer patients from three cancer types, lung cancer (LC), breast cancer (BC) and head/neck cancer (HNC), and were administered only TAU (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy and radiation-hormonal therapy). In Group II (n2 = 30), the participants were administered not only the regular TAU but also the PI involving psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and guided imagery. Three research instruments, namely QSC-R23, Brief Cope Inventory and EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3.0, were used for the present study. Results: The study findings revealed that both TAU and CI resulted in positive outcomes across the measured variables. Notably, there was a decrease in stress levels and an improvement in coping strategies, encompassing problem-focused, emotion-focused and adaptive coping. Furthermore, participants showed a decreased reliance on maladaptive coping strategies and reported an enhanced quality of life, as evidenced by improvements in symptom scales. Conclusion: The study indicated that combining PI with TAU resulted in better outcomes, highlighting the effectiveness of CI (TAU with PI) for cancer patients compared to TAU alone. Keywords Cancer, combined intervention, coping strategies, psychological intervention, stress, treatment-as-usual Received 20 January 2024; accepted 29 February 2024 Introduction Contemporary cancer care primarily focuses on advanced biomedical treatments, often overlooking the psychological and social challenges associated with the illness (psychosocial factors). This oversight can undermine the efficacy of healthcare and subsequently impact the overall well-being of cancer patients. There is a widespread consensus among medical professionals that psychological factors play a crucial role in the care and treatment of cancer patients. Cancer diagnosis and treatment often lead to psychological distress. Research shows that individuals with lower distress levels have better treatment adherence and cope more effectively.1-3 To address these 1 Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, India 2Centre for Health Psychology, University of Hyderabad, Telangana, India 3Global Hospital, Banjara Hills, Khairatabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, India Corresponding author: Vijaya Prasad Barre, Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Academic Block, 4th Floor, R. No: 4096, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India. E-mail:

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

To examine the effects of treatment as usual (TAU) versus TAU combined with a psychological intervention (PI) on stress, coping strategies, and quality of life among adult cancer patients.

How were the participants divided and what did each group receive?

Group I received TAU only, while Group II received TAU plus PI, including psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), and guided imagery.

Which instruments were used to measure outcomes?

The study used QSC-R23, the Brief Cope Inventory, and EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3.0 to evaluate stress, coping strategies, and quality of life.

Sep 30, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven