Boxleitner Gisela, Jolie Shelley, Shaffer Dana, Pasacreta Nicholas, Bai Mei, McCorkle Ruth
1 Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven , New Haven, CT.
2 Yale University School of Nursing , New Haven, CT.
J Altern Complement Med. 2017 May;23(5):355-361. doi: 10.1089/acm.2016.0214. Epub 2017 Feb 17.
Radiation treatment for head and neck cancer introduces adaptive demands and subjects patients to significant and unique psychosocial challenges. There is growing evidence that meditation is useful in lessening anxiety and depression in cancer patients. This study compared the effects of two types of meditation training on the psychological responses of patients with head and neck cancer during radiation therapy.
Randomized clinical trial.
Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven.
A total of 29 patients with head and neck cancers were recruited and 28 patients were followed during their radiation therapy over 12 weeks.
Depending on their group assignment, patients were taught one of two standardized meditations: meditation with a coach or self-meditation with a CD.
Patient psychosocial responses were defined as anxiety, depression, and emotional distress and were measured by the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) and the Emotional Distress Thermometer. Measures were self-reported and collected by the nurse manager at baseline and 6 and 12 weeks during the patient's scheduled weekly visit.
No significant mean differences were found between the two meditation groups on all three outcomes: anxiety, depression, and emotional distress. Patients in both the meditation with a coach and self-meditation with a CD groups reported less distress from baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks, as evidenced by the HADS anxiety scale.
This study demonstrated two equally effective meditation techniques that can be implemented with patients experiencing high stress during radiation treatments in any health care setting to decrease patient anxiety, depression, and emotional distress. The data established self-meditation with a CD as a more cost-effective alternative to meditation with a coach, which requires intensive training and time commitment for patients.
头颈部癌症的放射治疗带来了适应性需求，并使患者面临重大且独特的心理社会挑战。越来越多的证据表明，冥想有助于减轻癌症患者的焦虑和抑郁。本研究比较了两种冥想训练对头颈部癌症患者在放射治疗期间心理反应的影响。
随机临床试验。
耶鲁纽黑文斯米洛癌症医院。
共招募了29名头颈部癌症患者，28名患者在12周的放射治疗期间接受了随访。
根据分组情况，患者被教授两种标准化冥想中的一种：有教练指导的冥想或使用CD进行自我冥想。
患者的心理社会反应定义为焦虑、抑郁和情绪困扰，通过医院焦虑抑郁量表（HADS）和情绪困扰温度计进行测量。这些指标由患者自我报告，并在基线以及患者每周预定就诊的第6周和第12周由护士长收集。
在焦虑、抑郁和情绪困扰这三个结果上，两个冥想组之间未发现显著的平均差异。有教练指导的冥想组和使用CD进行自我冥想组的患者在基线以及第6周和第12周时报告的困扰均比之前减轻，HADS焦虑量表证明了这一点。
本研究证明了两种同样有效的冥想技巧，可在任何医疗环境中应用于放射治疗期间承受高压力的患者，以减轻患者的焦虑、抑郁和情绪困扰。数据表明，使用CD进行自我冥想是有教练指导的冥想的一种更具成本效益的替代方法，因为有教练指导的冥想需要患者进行强化训练并投入时间。
