Group Interventions for Cancer Patients
by John Kleinbaum, PhD 4 CE Credits
Description:
This course presents the theoretical development and empirical evaluation of group interventions for cancer patients focusing on three primary group modalities: Psycho-educational, Expressive Therapeutic, and Cognitive-Behavioral. Findings related to group structure (e.g., participant selection) and dynamics (e.g., group process) in the cancer context will be discussed. Measures commonly used to evaluate treatment efficacy outcomes (e.g., quality of life, physiological measures of stress reduction, survival rates) and meta-analyses of these outcome studies will be reviewed. The underlying mechanisms through which group interventions impact emotional states and the ability to cope with cancer-related challenges, as well as their influence on disease progression, will be explored. Lastly, the clinical applicability within this patient population will be addressed, such as the value of social support versus isolation, expression versus inhibition, and cognitive confrontation versus denial.
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, health professionals will be able to:
- Discuss the historical development of psychosocial group interventions for cancer patients.
- Indicate the theoretical mechanisms and practical characteristics of group interventions in this disease domain.
- Describe and apply the empirical evidence pertaining to comparative studies of different group models with respect to psychological and medical outcomes (e.g., enhanced ability to cope with cancer-related challenges; impact on disease progression).
- Identify assessment techniques to measure the effectiveness of group interventions in the cancer care arena.
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