Emard Nicholas, Lynch Kathleen A, Liou Kevin T, Atkinson Thomas, Green Angela K, Daly Bobby, Trevino Kelly, Mao Jun J
Bendheim Integrative Medicine Center, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States.
JMIR Cancer. 2021 Jun 8;7(2):e27384. doi: 10.2196/27384.
Patients with cancer are particularly vulnerable to stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing is critical for patients with cancer; however, it can also reduce their access to psychosocial coping resources.
The aim of this study was to explore patient experiences to generate a model of how virtual mind-body programs can support the psychosocial well-being of patients with cancer.
We conducted a qualitative study among patients (aged ≥18 years) who participated in a virtual mind-body program offered by a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program consisted of mind-body group therapy sessions of fitness, yoga, tai chi, dance therapy, music therapy, and meditation. Live integrative medicine clinicians held each session via Zoom videoconferencing for 30-45 minutes. In semistructured phone interviews (n=30), patients were asked about their overall impressions and perceptions of the benefits of the sessions, including impacts on stress and anxiety. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory.
Among the 30 participants (average age 64.5 years, SD 9.36, range 40-80, 29 female), three major themes were identified relating to experiences in the virtual mind-body program: (1) the sessions helped the patients maintain structured routines and motivated them to adhere to healthy behaviors; (2) the sessions enhanced coping with COVID-19-related-stressors, allowing patients to "refocus" and "re-energize"; and (3) the sessions allowed patients to connect, fostering social relationships during a time of isolation. These themes informed the constructs of a novel behavioral-psychological-social coping model for patients with cancer.
Virtual mind-body programming supported patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic through a behavioral-psychological-social coping model by enhancing psychological coping for external stressors, supporting adherence to motivation and health behaviors, and increasing social connection and camaraderie. These programs have potential to address the behavioral, psychological, and social challenges faced by patients with cancer during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The constructs of the conceptual model proposed in this study can inform future interventions to support isolated patients with cancer. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm the specific benefits of virtual mind-body programming for the psychosocial well-being and healthy behaviors of patients with cancer.
在新冠疫情期间，癌症患者特别容易受到压力和焦虑的影响。社交距离对癌症患者至关重要；然而，这也可能减少他们获得心理社会应对资源的机会。
本研究的目的是探索患者的体验，以建立一个关于虚拟身心项目如何支持癌症患者心理社会福祉的模型。
我们对在新冠疫情期间参加了由一家美国国立癌症研究所指定的综合癌症中心提供的虚拟身心项目的患者（年龄≥18岁）进行了一项定性研究。该项目包括健身、瑜伽、太极、舞蹈治疗、音乐治疗和冥想等身心团体治疗课程。综合医学临床医生通过Zoom视频会议进行每次课程，时长30 - 45分钟。在半结构化电话访谈（n = 30）中，患者被问及他们对课程益处的总体印象和看法，包括对压力和焦虑的影响。访谈采用扎根理论进行分析。
在30名参与者（平均年龄64.5岁，标准差9.36，范围40 - 80岁，29名女性）中，确定了与虚拟身心项目体验相关的三个主要主题：（1）课程帮助患者维持有规律的日常活动，并激励他们坚持健康行为；（2）课程增强了对与新冠疫情相关压力源的应对能力，使患者能够“重新聚焦”和“恢复活力”；（3）课程让患者能够建立联系，在隔离期间促进社交关系。这些主题为癌症患者构建了一个新的行为 - 心理 - 社会应对模型。
在新冠疫情期间，虚拟身心项目通过行为 - 心理 - 社会应对模型支持癌症患者，增强了对外部压力源的心理应对能力，支持坚持动机和健康行为，并增加了社交联系和情谊。这些项目有潜力应对癌症患者在新冠疫情期间及之后面临的行为、心理和社会挑战。本研究中提出的概念模型的构建可为未来支持孤立癌症患者的干预措施提供参考。需要进一步的临床试验来确认虚拟身心项目对癌症患者心理社会福祉和健康行为的具体益处。
