This randomized, controlled trial evaluates the effectiveness of an adaptation of a well-established brief, structured existential psychotherapy (Meaning Centered Psychotherapy) specifically tailored to the needs of palliative care patients (MCP-PC). Terminally ill patients with cancer who have been hospitalized in a palliative care hospital will be randomly assigned to either MCP-PC or enhanced usual care. Patients will complete a very short battery of self-report measures before the 3-session intervention, and again 2 and 4 weeks later to determine whether treatment has bolstered spiritual and psychological well-being and improved quality of life.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
80
Manualized, 3-session existential psychotherapy (30-45 minutes/session) with an optional 4th "booster" session. Content focuses on enhancing patients sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Spiritual Well Being
Overall spiritual well-being as measured through the self-report FACIT Spiritual Well Being scale
Time frame: Through study completion (approx 6 weeks)
Hopelessness
Self-report rating scale, the Hopelessness Assessment in Illness scale
Time frame: Through study completion (approx 6 weeks)
Acceptance of Death
Subscale derived from the Life Attitude Profile, a self-report measure of meaning and purpose
Time frame: Through study completion (approx 6 weeks)
Health related Quality of life
Single item rating of overall quality of life derived from the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire
Time frame: Through study completion (approx 6 weeks)
Desire for hastened death
Abbreviated version of the Schedule of Attitudes towards Hastened Death, a measure of desire for hastened death
Time frame: Through study completion (approx 6 weeks)
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