Table 1.
Quantitative studies
| Intervention | Country | Setting | Assessments | Main results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCT | |||||
| Steinhauser, et al. (2008) | Three-arm intervention at three time points: LR, forgiveness, heritage, and legacy; attention control group: Nonguided relaxation CD; true control group: No intervention | USA, North Carolina | 82 patients | ADL POMS CESD, QUAL-E | Intervention arm shows improvement in all outcomes, anxiety from 6.4 to 3.7, depression from 11.8 to 9.1, and QUAL-E from 3.4 to 3.7 |
| Ando, et al. (2010;39) | SLR; control group: General support | Japan | 68 patients | FACIT-Sp, HADS | Intervention group |
| FACIT-Sp from 17.2±6.9 to 25.5±4.9 HADS from 17.1±5.6 to 10.3±3.2 | |||||
| Control group | |||||
| FACIT-Sp from 16.7±8.6 to 13.8±7.5 HADS from 20.1±8.5 to 21.2±8.3 | |||||
| Chochinov, et al. (2011) | DT; control group: Standard PC | Canada (Winnipeg), USA New York, Australia (Perth) | 326 patients | FACIT-Sp HADS PDI SISC ESAS QOL | No significant differences between study arms. DT was significantly more likely to be experienced as helpful (χ2=35.501; P<0.001), improve quality of life (χ2=14.520; P<0.001), sense of dignity (χ2=12.655; P=0.002); change how their family sees and appreciates them (χ2=33.811; P<0.001) and be helpful to their family (χ2=33.864; P<0.001) |
| Hall, et al. (2011) | DT; control group: Standard care | London, UK | 45 patients | PDI | No differences on PDI. In the intervention group hope increased from 37.09 to 38.0 (1 week) to 37.5 (4 weeks), control group from 37.35 to 35.87 (1 week) to 35.3 (4 weeks) |
| Vuksanovic, et al. (2017) | Three-arm intervention at two time points: DT; LR; waitlist control | Australia | 70 patients | Brief Measure of Generativity and Ego-Integrity questionnaire, FACT-G PDI | DT significantly increased generativity and ego-integrity scores; FACT-G - no main effects; PDI - no significant differences; DT group had significantly higher generativity factor scores at completion of the study (95% CI 2.67, 3.41) compared with baseline (95% CI 3.52, 4.15, P<0.001). DT group had significantly higher ego-integrity scores at study completion (95% CI: 3.17, 3.77) compared with baseline (95%: CI 3.48, 4.22), P=0.01 |
| Non-RCT | |||||
| Ando, et al. (2007;15) | LR Pre-post intervention |
Japan | 12 patients | SELT-M | Two groups effective and noneffective SELT-M from 2.57±0.61 to 3.58±1.0 P=0.013 and from 2.57±0.61 to 3.14±2.25, P=0.023 |
| Ando, et al. (2008;17) | SLR Pre-post Intervention |
Japan | 30 patients | FACIT-Sp HADS NRS suffering, happiness |
FACIT-SP from 16±8.2 to 24±7.1 HADS from 17±8.6 to 9.5±5.4 |
| Ando, et al. (2010;40) | BLR Pre-post Intervention |
Japan | 21 bereaved caregivers | FACIT-Sp BDI-II |
FACIT-Sp from 19.9±5.8 to 22.8±5.1 Z=2.2, P=0.028 BDI from 10.8±7.7 to 6.8±5.8 Z=−3.0, P=0.003 |
| Ando, et al. (2012;10) | SLR Pre-post Intervention |
Japan | 34 patients | FACIT-Sp | FACIT-Sp from 17.2±6.9 to 25.5±4.9 |
| Ando, et al. (2014;31) | BLR Pre-post Intervention |
Japan | 20 bereaved caregivers | FACIT-Sp BDI-II |
BDI from 14.4±9.2 to 11.6±7.4 t=2.15, P=0.045 FACIT-Sp from 24.3±10.1 to 25.9±11 t=−1.0, P=0.341 |
| Ando, et al. (2015;13) | BLR Pre-post Intervention |
Hawaii | 20 bereaved caregivers | FACIT-Sp BDI-II |
FACIT-Sp from 34.1±9.63 to 36.3±10.6 t=−2.6, P<0.05 BDI from 11.7±7.7 to 8.8±7.0 t=2.27, P<0.05 |
| Sakaguchi, Okamura (2015) | Collage activity based on LR Pre-post intervention |
Japan | 11 cancer patients | FACIT-Sp HADS SESTC |
FACIT-SP from 25.9±8.1 to 34.9±17.5 (P=0.002), HADS score significantly decreased from 11.6±6.3 to 6.4±3.7 (P=0.026) |
LR: Life review, SLR: Short-term life review, BLR: Bereaved life review, ADL: Activities of Daily Living, POMS: Profile of Mood States, CESD: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, QUAL-E: Quality of Life at the End of Life, FACIT-SP: Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being, BDI: Beck Depression Inventory, SELT-M: Skalen zur Erfassung der Lebensqualität bei Tumorkranken, HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, NRS: Numeric Rating Scale, FACT-G: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, SESTC: Self-Efficacy Scale for Terminal Cancer, PDI: Palliative Dignity Inventory