Effect of Guided Imagery for Radiotherapy-Related Distress in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Head and Neck Cancer

Treatments: Behavioral: Guided Imagery; Other: Treatment as Usual

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03662698

18-1100.cc

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this interdisciplinary pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a guided imagery intervention to reduce radiotherapy-related symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with head and neck cancers relative to treatment as usual.

Full description

The goal of this interdisciplinary pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a guided imagery intervention to reduce radiotherapy-related symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with head and neck cancers relative to treatment as usual. Treatment as usual contains no psychological interventions to aid in distress, however participants will have access to the psychosocial supports at the cancer center available to all patients. Patients will be randomized to either condition, and surveys of their well-being will be conducted throughout the study.

Enrollment: 57 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 100 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Provision to sign and date the consent form.
2. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and be available for the duration of the study.
3. Be aged 18 - 100.
4. Ability to read and communicate in English.
5. A confirmed malignancy of the head and neck region (including metastases from other primary tumors and cancers of unknown primary.
6. Initiation of RT at the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
7. Psychiatric and cognitive stability as assessed by chart review (i.e., no documented dementia diagnosis or unmanaged psychiatric symptoms) and study personnel (i.e., ability to attend to meeting with study personnel).
8. Ability to meet remotely via internet connection or over the phone.

Exclusion criteria

1. Any individual who does not meet the inclusion criteria.
2. Those who are determined, by mental health professionals, to be psychiatrically unstable.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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57 participants in 2 patient groups

Guided Imagery

Experimental group

Description:

The GI intervention will include direct, written, and audio delivery of one of three GI vignettes (depiction).The patient will be able to choose one of the three vignettes.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Guided Imagery

Treatment as Usual

Active Comparator group

Description:

The control, or treatment as usual condition, will include an orientation to radiotherapy from the clinic nurse coordinator.

Treatment:

Other: Treatment as Usual