Abstract
239 Background: Psychosocial distress is common for those with cancer; new interventions are needed. Pillars4Life is an online educational program that teaches coping skills in a group format. What is the relationship between participation in the LiveStrong-funded Pillars4Life program and personal psychosocial outcomes? Methods: This was a longitudinal observational cohort study. Cancer patients participating in the Pillars4Life program were recruited from the 17 hospitals that received the LiveStrong Community Impact Award. Consenting participants participated in 10 weekly sessions and completed electronic surveys at baseline and 3 months. Patient reported measures included: distress [Distress Thermometer (DT), Patient Care Monitor (PCM)], depression [Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9)], anxiety [Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD7)], posttraumatic stress [PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCLC)], despair (PCM), fatigue [Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)], and cancer-related wellbeing [Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACTG)] outcomes. Results: Patient participants (n=130) were: mean age 56±11 years; 87% female; 89% white; 61% married; 48% employed; 51% had breast cancer; and 63% were receiving treatment. Mean scores significantly improved from baseline to month 3 on all patient-reported outcome measures: DT (-0.9), PCM Distress (-3.0), PHQ9 (-2.3), GAD7 (-2.3), PCLC (-4.3), PCM Despair (-2.9), FACT-G (4.7), all p<.001; and FACIT-Fatigue (3.3, p=.001). Patients who reported distress at baseline (DT≥4; n=70) had clinically significant improvements (moderate to strong effect sizes ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 standard deviation units) in DT; PCM Distress, Quality of Life, and Despair; PHQ9; GAD7; PCLC; FACTG, among others. Conclusions: Participation in Pillars4Life was associated with statistically and clinically significant improvements on key psychosocial and quality of life patient-reported outcomes measures. Importantly, distressed patients experienced meaningful improvement.
Published Version
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