Efficacy of a Stress Management Program for Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Transcatheter Arterial Endolization
Resource
JOURNAL OF THE FORMOSAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION v.97 n.2 pp.113-117
Journal
JOURNAL OF THE FORMOSAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Journal Volume
v.97
Journal Issue
n.2
Pages
113-117
Date Issued
1998
Date
1998
Author(s)
LIN, MEEI-LIANG
TSANG, YUK-MING
HWANG, SHIOW-LI
Abstract
Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), a common treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carinoma (HCC), can provoke severe physical discomfort and psychologic stress.The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a combination of health education, muscle relaxation, and back massage on reducing physical and psychologic stress in HCC patients receiving TEA.A quasiexperimental design was used. Forty patients with HCC ( 30 men and 10 women)with a mean age of 57±12 years were recruited and randomly assigned to the control or experimental group. The effectiveness of the stress management program was evaluated using a knowledge questionnaire, a worry inventory, a state-trait anxiety inventory, and physical distress scale. After completing the stress management program, the experimental group had a greater mean increase in knowledge score than the control group (5.1 vs 0.8, p<0.0001) and a greater mean decrease in worry score (-8.2 vs 1.1, p<0.0001). The mean decrease in the anxiety score in the experimental group was also significancantly greater than in the control group before TAE (-5.8 vs 3.2 , p<0.001) and 2, 4, 6, and 7 days after TEA (-8.2 vs 7.1, p<0.001; -8.7 vs 3.2, p<0.001; -9.8 vs -2.1, p <0.05; -11 vs -0.9, p<0.05). The patients in the experimental group had a smaller mean increase in physical distress score than the control group at 2, 4, 6, and 7 days after TAE (34 .7 vs 50.2, 20.9 vs 29.6, 10.6 vs 18.2, 3.9 vs 11.2, all p<0.05). The stress management program effectively reduces the sterss of HCC patients undergoing TAE.