One‐week Short‐Term Life Review interview can improve spiritual well‐being of terminally ill cancer patients

Abstract

The Short-Term Life Review is feasible and may be effective in improving the spiritual and psychosocial well-being of terminally ill cancer patients.

Psychosocial, Cognitive, and Physical Impact of Elaborate Consultations and Life Review in Female Patients with Non-Metastasized Breast Cancer

“…Significant improvement of sustained emotional and social functioning was found for ECLR patients compared to the control. This is similar to the results of other studies that reported psychosocial improvement in terminally ill patients [11,12,13]. Furthermore, our results of the effects of ECLR are in line with the evident impact of psychoeducation on emotional distress and QoL [28,29,30,31,32].…”

“…Because of this ‘strong evidence base' of psychotherapy and psychoeducation [33], the recently published clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment excluded these interventions from analyses as both interventions are ‘often considered to be mainstream rather than integrative or complementary'. ECLR, in form and content often viewed as part of psychoeducation, has, however, not been evaluated in meta-analyses or randomized controlled studies yet [11,12,13]. Therefore, little or no systematic research results and evidence have been published so far on its effect on emotional distress and HRQL.…”

“…Studies suggest that LR interviews improve the psychosocial well-being of terminally ill cancer patients [11,12]. Even though already widely applied in Anthroposophic-integrative oncology, no peer-reviewed systematic research exists on the impact of ECLR on psychosocial or physical functioning of non-metastasized breast cancer patients.…”

“…So far, systematic research in oncology has been made only in terminally ill cancer patients to evaluate patient-reported outcomes after an LR. The results of these studies indicate that the LR improved spiritual well-being and psychosocial distress [11,12,13]. No data exist for the impact of ECLR on non-metastasized breast cancer patients or survivors.…”

Reminiscence Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Spiritual Well-Being and Self-Esteem of Cancer Patients

“…Reminiscence is defined as memory recall that is usually characterized as simple daydreaming, storytelling, or nostalgia by oneself or with others [1], and reminiscence therapy has an effect on depression and self-esteem for older adults [2]. Life Review is one style of reminiscence therapy, and its efficacy on spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients has been demonstrated [3,4]. However, this efficacy was shown for patients with symptoms and psychological problems or states that are likely to differ from those in patients undergoing treatment who are not terminally ill.…”