Table 6.
Results of studies on rehabilitation methods on psychosocial, occupational, and cognitive outcomes
| Paramanandam and Roberts39 (2014) | Fors et al40 (2011) | Hoving et al41 (2009) | Juvet et al22 (2009) | Selamat et al7 (2011) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcomes | |||||
| Psychosocial: quality of life | Exercise: weight training exercise of low to moderate intensity with relatively slow progression. Inconclusive results. Some aspects of QoL may improve with weight training. | Psycho-education: inconclusive results. No significant increase in QoL. Three RCTs on effect of the interventions during and another three on effects after primary treatment CBT: seven trials on CBT, four on after versus three during primary treatment. Overall significant short-term increase in QoL. Social and emotional support interventions: inconclusive impact (five studies). |
– | Exercise: moderate level of evidence (ten studies). Four studies showed that exercise after primary treatment may improve short-term QoL. Psycho-education: six RCTs on psycho-educational. Inconclusive results. CBT: seven RCTs examined CBT. Inconclusive results. Social and emotional support – five studies. Inconclusive results. Complementary: five studies. Small effect on the QoL. |
– |
| Psychosocial: health behaviors | – | Inconclusive results for all types of interventions | – | CBT: inconclusive results Social and emotional support intervention: inconclusive results |
– |
| Psychosocial: social function and coping | – | Inconclusive results for all types of interventions | – | Social and emotional support intervention: inconclusive results Complementary: inconclusive results |
– |
| Psychosocial: mood | – | Psycho-education: inconclusive results CBT: inconclusive results on mood. Social and emotional support: inconclusive results. Improvement seen on the POMS scale, but not on HADS and MAC scales |
– | Exercise: inconclusive results. Psycho-education: inconclusive results. CBT: inconclusive results. Improved mood – three CBT studies measured mood (anxiety, event related distress and depression) Social and emotional support – inconclusive results Complementary rehabilitation: small effect on mood outcomes |
– |
| Cognitive: cognitive dysfunction | – | – | – | – | Five studies on self-management rehabilitation. Psychosocial interventions and practical reminders were good coping strategies. With cultural differences in coping strategies Asians are more likely to use complementary medicine |
| Occupational: return to work | – | – | Inconclusive results – counseling or exercise – as three studies had no comparison group. Longer time needed to return to work was related to more extensive surgical procedures. | – | – |
Abbreviations: CBT, cognitive behavior therapy; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; MAC, the Mental Adjustment to Cancer; POMS, Profile of Mood States; QoL, quality of life; RCTs, randomized controlled trials.