Getting back on track: evaluation of a brief group psychoeducation intervention for women completing primary treatment for breast cancer

Abstract

Patients with breast cancer experience unmet informational and psychosocial needs at the end of treatment. A brief psychoeducational intervention delivered at this transition may help to address some of the challenges these women face. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a single-session group psychoeducational intervention (GBOT group) compared with standard print material (usual care). In this randomized controlled trial, 442 patients with breast cancer who were completing their adjuvant radiotherapy were recruited and randomized to receive either usual care, which includes standard print material (CRL group n = 226) or usual care and the GBOT group intervention (INT group n = 216). Participants completed measures at baseline and again at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. The INT group showed significant improvement in their knowledge regarding the re-entry transition period (d = 0.31) and in their feelings of preparedness for re-entry (d = 0.37). There were no differences between the groups over time on health-related distress or mood. Results support the effectiveness of providing a single-session group psychoeducational intervention as a first-step approach to supportive care for women at the end of breast cancer treatment.