CLINICAL RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Garland SN, Carlson LE, Simpson S.
Effects of a psychosocial multimodal retreat program
on the marital relationship and quality of life of palliative cancer
patients and their partners.
University of Calgary sheilagarland@shaw.ca
PURPOSE: Distress is a common result of a cancer
diagnosis and is highest in patients with untreatable cancer. This distress
affects not only the Quality of Life (QL) of the patient but also of
their partner. Indeed, distress is often higher in the partners of patients
than in the patients themselves. Programs tailored to meet the needs
of patients at the end of life and their partners are absent in practice
or in the research literature. This study examines the relationship
between marital satisfaction and QL in couples who chose to attend a
retreat based psycho-educational program compared to non-attendees.
The 5-day residential retreat, "Tapestry" combines narrative therapy
and educational sessions, creative therapies (journaling, Jungian sand-tray,
drumming), bodywork (yoga, deep relaxation, massage, meditation), and
reflective time in nature.
METHODS: Participants were assessed at baseline
and one month after baseline or the retreat. Patients completed the
Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-General and McGill Quality
of Life Questionnaires and partners completed the Quality of Life in
Life Threatening Illness-Family Caregiver version and the couple completed
the Index of Marital Satisfaction. Additional information on related
physical and psychological symptoms was also collected. The following
questions were addressed: Are couples that attend the retreat different
from those who choose not to on measures of marital satisfaction, QL
and psychological and physical symptomatology? To what extent is marital
satisfaction related to QL in palliative cancer patients and their partners?
Does participation in the retreat have an effect on the marital satisfaction
and QL of palliative cancer patients and their partners?
RESULTS: 23 couples consented to the study and
of these, 10 attended the retreat. Patients were diagnosed with metastatic
incurable breast, prostate or colon cancer. Patients who chose to attend
the retreat expressed significantly more dissatisfaction with their
relationships (F =4.44, p<.05) and had a lower QL (F=11.50, p<.01) compared
to patients who chose not to attend the program. Spouses of patients
who attended were also significantly more dissatisfied with their relationships
(F=6.72, p<.05) and had a lower QL (F=6.44, p<.05) compared to partners
who did not attend the program. Marital satisfaction was significantly
(p<.01) related to QL for the patients and partners in both groups.
Improvement in marital satisfaction approached significance (p<.10)
for the partners of patients who attended the retreat.
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with poor quality of life
and marital dissatisfaction and their partners are vulnerable groups
that may be open to interventions addressing end of life issues. These
preliminary results suggest that the intervention may improve the marital
satisfaction of the partners attending the retreat. Longitudinal data
being collected at 3, 6, 9 and 12-month follow-up will further elucidate
the effect of the program and patterns of change over time.
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