Purpose
Depressive symptoms are common in cancer survivors: 15% or more of cancer patients experience depressive symptoms that can have a negative impact on their quality of life. Canadian care guidelines for cancer survivors recommend supporting the active engagement of survivors in their self-care. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a depression self-care program which includes a self-care toolkit and support in the form of regular telephone calls from a trained lay self-care coach. The toolkit contains tools that help cancer survivors:
- learn information to better understand depression and anxiety, and
- learn coping skills that can help users engage in behaviours that have been shown to be beneficial for mood, e.g. restructuring thoughts, problem solving, and planning pleasant activities.
The role of the coach was to guide and encourage participants in the selection and use of appropriate tools.
Evidence
- McCusker J, Yaffe M, Faria R, Lambert S, Li M, Poirier-Bisson J, Magalhaes M, de Raad M. Phase II trial of a depression self-care intervention for adult cancer survivors. European Journal of Cancer Care. 27(1): e12763 (16 pages), 2018. DOI 10.1111/ecc.12763
- McCusker J, Jones JM, Li M, Faria R, Yaffe MJ, Lambert SD, Ciampi A, Belzile E, de Raad M. CanDirect: Effectiveness of a Telephone-Supported Depression Self-Care Intervention for Cancer Survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2021 Apr 1;39(10):1150-1161. doi: 10.1200/JCO.20.01802.
- PDF summary of CanDirect results
- Presentation at CCSRC rounds on June 18, 2021: YouTube video