Suzanne C. Danhauer

Restorative yoga for women with breast cancer: findings from a randomized pilot study.

Objectives: Restorative yoga (RY) is a gentle type of yoga that may be beneficial for cancer patients and post‐treatment survivors. Study goals were: to determine the feasibility of implementing a RY intervention for women with breast cancer; and to examine group differences in self‐reported emotional, health‐related quality of life, and symptom outcomes.

A short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory

Abstract A short form of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-SF) is described. A sample of 1351 adults who had completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) in previous studies provided the basis for item selection. The resulting 10-item form includes two items from each of the five subscales of the original PTGI, selected on the basis of loadings on the original factors and breadth of item content. A separate sample of 186 completed the short form of the scale (PTGI-SF). Confirmatory factor analyses on both data sets demonstrated a five-factor structure for the PTGI-short form (PTGI-SF) equivalent to that of the PTGI. Three studies of homogenous clinical samples (bereaved parents, intimate partner violence victims, and acute leukemia patients) demonstrated that the PTGI-SF yields relationships with other variables of interest that are equivalent to those found using the original form of the PTGI. A final study demonstrated that administering the 10 short-form items in a random order, rather than in the fixed context of the original scale, did not impact the performance of the PTGI-SF. Overall, these results indicate that the PTGI-SF could be substituted for the PTGI with little loss of information.

The Core Beliefs Inventory: a brief measure of disruption in the assumptive world

Abstract Stressful events that disrupt the assumptive world can force people to make cognitive changes to accommodate these highly stressful experiences. As fundamental assumptions are reestablished, many people report changes and experiences that reflect posttraumatic growth (PTG). The present research describes the development of the Core Beliefs Inventory (CBI), a brief measure of disruption of the assumptive world developed for use in applied research and clinical settings. Three studies, two using college samples (Study 1, n=181 and Study 2, n=297 time 1; 85 time 2) and the third using leukemia patients (Study 3, n=70 time 1; 43 time 2), assessed the utility of the CBI to predict PTG in both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Relationships between the CBI and measures of self-reported PTG and well-being indicate that the CBI has construct validity, acceptable test-retest reliability, and very good internal consistency. The CBI may be a useful tool in investigating predictions about the effects of stressful experiences on an individuals assumptive world, PTG, and successful adaptation.

Predictors of posttraumatic growth in women with breast cancer

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is defined as ‘positive psychological change experienced as a result of a struggle with highly challenging life circumstances’. The current study examined change in PTG over 2 years following breast cancer diagnosis and variables associated with PTG over time.

A meta-analytic approach to examining the correlation between religion/spirituality and mental health in cancer.

Religion and spirituality (R/S) are patient‐centered factors and often are resources for managing the emotional sequelae of the cancer experience. Studies investigating the correlation between R/S (eg, beliefs, experiences, coping) and mental health (eg, depression, anxiety, well being) in cancer have used very heterogeneous measures and have produced correspondingly inconsistent results. A meaningful synthesis of these findings has been lacking; thus, the objective of this review was to conduct a meta‐analysis of the research on R/S and mental health. Four electronic databases were systematically reviewed, and 2073 abstracts met initial selection criteria. Reviewer pairs applied standardized coding schemes to extract indices of the correlation between R/S and mental health. In total, 617 effect sizes from 148 eligible studies were synthesized using meta‐analytic generalized estimating equations, and subgroup analyses were performed to examine moderators of effects. The estimated mean correlation (Fisher z) was 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16‐0.23), which varied as a function of R/S dimensions: affective R/S (z = 0.38; 95% CI, 0.33‐0.43), behavioral R/S (z = 0.03; 95% CI, −0.02‐0.08), cognitive R/S (z = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.06‐0.14), and ‘other’ R/S (z = 0.08; 95% CI, 0.03‐0.13). Aggregate, study‐level demographic and clinical factors were not predictive of the relation between R/S and mental health. There was little indication of publication or reporting biases. The correlation between R/S and mental health generally was positive. The strength of that correlation was modest and varied as a function of the R/S dimensions and mental health domains assessed. The identification of optimal R/S measures and more sophisticated methodological approaches are needed to advance research. Cancer 2015;121:3769–3778.

A Longitudinal Investigation of Posttraumatic Growth in Adult Patients Undergoing Treatment for Acute Leukemia

An acute leukemia diagnosis can be an extremely stressful experience for most patients. Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is positive psychological change experienced following a struggle with highly challenging life circumstances. The current study is the first longitudinal investigation of predictors of PTG and distress in adult acute leukemia patients undergoing induction chemotherapy. Findings suggest that these patients report PTG, and levels of PTG appear to increase over the weeks following leukemia diagnosis and induction chemotherapy. Variables associated with higher total PTG scores over time included greater number of days from baseline, younger age, and greater challenge to core beliefs. Variables associated with higher distress included greater number of days from baseline, greater perceived cancer threat, higher symptom severity, and lower spiritual well-being. Results underscore the critical role that examination of one’s core beliefs may play in the development of PTG over time.

Positive Psychosocial Functioning in Later Life: Use of Meaning-Based Coping Strategies by Nursing Home Residents

This study examined factors associated with positive psychosocial functioning in 94 cognitively intact nursing home residents reporting poor physical health. It was hypothesized that greater use of meaning-based coping strategies would be associated with higher levels of positive psychosocial functioning. Participants completed an interview containing measures of coping, affect, psychological well-being, depression, and activities of daily living. Findings suggest that meaning-based coping variables (positive reappraisal, perceived uplifts) accounted for significant variance in positive psychosocial variables but not distress variables. In contrast, physical health variables accounted for significant variance in distress but not positive psychosocial variables. Results support the view that the absence of distress does not necessarily imply optimal mental health. Thus, a comprehensive assessment of mental health in older adults requires inclusion of indices of both positive and negative psychological and social functioning.

Music or guided imagery for women undergoing colposcopy: a randomized controlled study of effects on anxiety, perceived pain, and patient satisfaction.

Objective. It was hypothesized that music or guided imagery versus usual care would result in less anxiety and perceived pain for colposcopy patients. Materials and Methods. Patients were randomized to music, guided imagery, or usual care after completing a baseline questionnaire. All patients completed a postprocedure questionnaire. Results. Study participants (N = 170) had a mean age of 28.4 years (SD = 9.6; range 18-60) and formed a racially diverse group. Education/income levels were low. No between-group differences were found for postprocedure anxiety or pain rating. Conclusions. Mind-body interventions had no statistically significant impact on reported anxiety, perceived pain, or satisfaction with care, even for those who anticipated the most pain or started with high anxiety.

Healing Touch as a Supportive Intervention for Adult Acute Leukemia Patients: A Pilot Investigation of Effects on Distress and Symptoms

BACKGROUND Goals were to determine the feasibility of conducting a study of Healing Touch (HT) for acute leukemia patients and to obtain preliminary data on its effectiveness. METHODS Forty hospitalized leukemia patients completed a brief survey of HT knowledge/experience. A prospective cohort (N = 12) was invited to participate in an HT intervention (9 30-minute sessions over 3 weeks); they completed measures of distress, symptoms, and sleep (at weeks 1 and 5), and completed single item ratings of fatigue, nausea, distress, and pain immediately pre-post selected HT sessions. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to analyze change in pre-post session ratings and distress, symptom, and sleep measures. RESULTS Among survey respondents, 8% had used HT in the past, and 71% were interested in using HT. In the prospective cohort, there were significant pre-post session improvements in fatigue and nausea (but not in distress and pain). There were no significant changes between weeks 1 and 5 in distress, symptoms, or sleep. Ratings and qualitative feedback on HT were positive, focused mainly on feeling relaxed following HT sessions. CONCLUSIONS It is feasible to recruit patients hospitalized for acute leukemia to a study of HT. Preliminary data on short-term improvements in symptoms indicate these are promising outcomes for future study.

Young women’s experiences with complementary therapies during cancer described through illness blogs

Many young women with cancer have a high symptom burden and negative psychosocial consequences as a result of their disease. To offset some of these experiences, a growing number of young women with cancer are writing about their experience with complementary therapies through online illness blogs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine descriptions of complementary therapy use among young women (diagnosed between 20 and 39 years of age) who maintained an online cancer blog. Women’s narratives describe several themes of the experience of using complementary therapies including awakening, new identities (that incorporate loss), the good stuff, and release. Online illness blogs allow researchers to understand the complete experience of the patient through personal accounts and substantially contributes to the body of knowledge surrounding cancer in young adulthood and complementary therapy use.