Psycho-Oncology Research Unit, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia.
Psychooncology. 2013 Feb;22(2):465-9. doi: 10.1002/pon.2085. Epub 2011 Oct 11.
This paper aims to describe 'Cognitive Existential Couple Therapy' (CECT), a novel couples-based intervention for men with early stage prostate cancer (PCa) and their partners, and to report preliminary findings from a pilot study that investigated the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention and the measures to be used in a subsequent randomised controlled trial.
A manualised CECT programme was delivered to 12 couples facing a diagnosis of PCa within the previous 12 months by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. Participants completed measures of psychological distress, marital function and coping pattern before and after CECT. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine couples shortly after the completion of CECT.
The application of CECT was both feasible and acceptable as indicated by favourable participant compliance (10 of the 12 couples attended all six designated sessions), completion of measures before and after CECT and participation in semi-structured interviews by nine couples. Preliminary results included reduced levels of avoidance and hyperarousal after the programme, with this effect stronger in partners than in patients. Interviews demonstrated that couples valued the therapist's contribution to their overall care.
Previous research suggests that a couple-focused psychological intervention is desirable in the context of early stage PCa. This pilot study has established that CECT is acceptable, feasible and valued by couples facing a recent PCa diagnosis and demonstrates a potential for reduced psychological distress following CECT. A randomised controlled trial is currently being undertaken to validate the efficacy of this novel approach.
本文旨在描述“认知存在夫妻治疗”（CECT），一种针对早期前列腺癌（PCa）男性及其伴侣的新型夫妻为基础的干预措施，并报告一项初步研究的初步结果，该研究调查了干预措施的可接受性和可行性以及随后随机对照试验中使用的措施。
由精神科医生和临床心理学家为 12 对在过去 12 个月内被诊断出患有 PCa 的夫妇提供了一份 CECT 手册。参与者在 CECT 前后完成了心理困扰、婚姻功能和应对模式的测量。在 CECT 完成后不久，对 9 对夫妇进行了半结构化访谈。
CECT 的应用既可行又可接受，这表明参与者的依从性良好（12 对夫妇中有 10 对参加了所有 6 次指定的会议），完成了 CECT 前后的测量，并由 9 对夫妇参加了半结构化访谈。初步结果包括在该计划后回避和过度警觉水平降低，这种效果在伴侣中比在患者中更强。访谈表明，夫妇重视治疗师对他们整体护理的贡献。
先前的研究表明，在早期 PCa 背景下，以夫妻为焦点的心理干预是可取的。这项初步研究表明，CECT 是可以接受的，可行的，并且受到最近被诊断出患有 PCa 的夫妇的重视，并显示出 CECT 后心理困扰减轻的潜力。目前正在进行一项随机对照试验，以验证这种新方法的疗效。
