Shiow-Luan Tsay, PhD, RNAbstract
The aim of this randomized, controlled trial is to investigate the efficacy of an individual psychosocial intervention on perceived stress, anxiety and depression in hospitalized patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Sixty patients were randomly assigned into an intervention group or a comparison group. The intervention group consisted of 6 individual sessions and included muscles relaxation, emotional support, coping strategies, managing uncertainty, facilitating control, and patient education. Patients in the comparison group received educational components. The primary outcome measures included Visual Analog Scale for stress, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Data was analyzed by longitudinal multiple regression in a mixed effect model (PROC Mixed) with adjustments for potential confounders.

After adjusting age, gender, alcohol consumption and severity of illness on anxiety, the intervention effect estimates revealed significant decreases after follow-up (β=-4.96, P<0.001). On depression, the estimates of intervention effect also showed significant changes (β=-8.40, P<0.005) in follow-up period. The results also demonstrated that the perceived stress had significantly decreased with the follow-up in a stepwise fashion for intervention group. This study suggested that individual psychosocial intervention appears to be an effective nursing therapeutic in hospitalized patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

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