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Efficacy of the Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully ( CALM ) individual psychotherapy for patients with advanced cancer: A single‐blind randomized controlled trial
Author(s) -
Mehnert Anja,
Koranyi Susan,
Philipp Rebecca,
Scheffold Katharina,
Kriston Levente,
LehmannLaue Antje,
Engelmann Dorit,
Vehling Sigrun,
Eisenecker Christina,
Oechsle Karin,
SchulzKindermann Frank,
Rodin Gary,
Härter Martin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.5521
Subject(s) - medicine , depression (economics) , randomized controlled trial , cancer , depressive symptoms , physical therapy , single blind , patient health questionnaire , psychiatry , anxiety , economics , macroeconomics
Objective We aimed to determine whether the Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) therapy is superior to a non‐manualized supportive psycho‐oncological counselling intervention (SPI). Methods Adult patients with advanced cancer and ≥9 points on the PHQ‐9 and/or ≥5 points on the DT were randomized to CALM or SPI. We hypothesized that CALM patients would report significantly less depression (primary outcome) on the BDI‐II and the PHQ‐9 6 months after baseline compared to SPI patients. Results From 329 eligible patients, 206 participated (61.2% female; age: M = 57.9 [SD = 11.7]; 84.5% UICC IV stage). Of them, 99 were assigned to CALM and 107 to SPI. Intention‐to‐treat analyses revealed significantly less depressive symptoms at 6 months than at baseline ( P < .001 for BDI‐II and PHQ‐9), but participants in the CALM and SPI group did not differ in depression severity (BDI‐II: P = .62, PHQ‐9: P = .998). Group differences on secondary outcomes were statistically not significant either. Conclusions CALM therapy was associated with reduction in depressive symptoms over time but this improvement was not statistically significant different than that obtained within SPI group.