LOL: It's All Improv After Cancer! The Impact of Improvisational Comedy on Well-Being Among Patients With Cancer
Status
Conditions
Treatments
Details and patient eligibility
About
Managing distress and improving well-being is critically important for optimal survivorship care. Treatment of distress leads to better adherence to treatment, better communication, fewer calls and visits to the oncologist's office, and avoidance of development of severe anxiety or depression. Based on national guidelines, distress is typically managed with pharmacologic options (i.e. benzodiazepines), support groups, individual counseling, or chaplaincy services. To our knowledge, the role of a structured improvisational comedy (improv) program in reducing distress and improving well-being has never been evaluated in the oncology setting.
Full description
With over 14 million cancer survivors today in the United States comes a unique constellation of challenges and opportunities for health care providers trying to optimize health at a time when many patients are struggling and open to learning new skills for strengthening their own resiliency and ability to cope. Not only does a significant subset of patients with cancer experience an increase in negative emotions, such as distress, anxiety and depression, but they often also experience a lack of positive emotions (Hart 2010). Managing distress and improving well-being is critically important for optimal survivorship care. Treatment of distress leads to better adherence to treatment, better communication, fewer calls and visits to the oncologist's office, and avoidance of development of severe anxiety or depression (Partridge, Wang et al. 2003; Carlson and Bultz 2004; 2014). Based on national guidelines, distress is typically managed with pharmacologic options (i.e. benzodiazepines), support groups, individual counseling, or chaplaincy services. To our knowledge, the role of a structured improvisational comedy (improv) program in reducing distress and improving well-being has never been evaluated in the oncology setting.
Enrollment
Sex
Ages
Volunteers
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Female, diagnosed with breast cancer stage 1-3 (no distant metastases)
- Completed cancer treatment (including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biologic treatment, and/or any combination) at least 1 month (30 days) from their last treatment and no more than 12 months (365 days) post-treatment. Long term hormonal/biologic treatments are ok.
- Female age ≥ 18
- Scores a at least 4/10 (≥4) on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer
- Agrees to complete study surveys
- Agrees to attend 6 improv classes
- English speaking
- Emotionally stable (per physician clearance) to participate in this series
Trial design
Primary purpose
Allocation
Interventional model
Masking
20 participants in 1 patient group
Trial contacts and locations
Loading...
Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov
Clinical trials
Research sites
Resources
Legal