Courneya, K. S., Friedenreich, C. M., Sela, R. A., Quinney, H. A., Rhodes, R. E., & Handman, M. (2003). The group psychotherapy and home-based physical exercise (group-hope) trial in cancer survivors: physical fitness and quality of life outcomes. Psycho-Oncology, 12, 357–374.
Patients were randomized to receive either 10 weeks of group psychotherapy and exercise (home-based, moderate intensity, 20 to 30 minutes, three to five times per week, and tailored across the intervention to promote progression toward the goal of achieving a heart rate during exercise of 65% to 75% of the estimated heart rate maximum) or group psychotherapy only. The group psychotherapy intervention consisted of stress management and relaxation training or expressive supportive therapy. Both group psychotherapy interventions had a psychoeducational focus. Patients in the group psychotherapy only arm received a personalized exercise plan after study completion. To control for possible contamination between the experimental conditions, groups of patients who had registered for a group psychotherapy program at a large cancer center, rather than individual patients, were randomized.
Patients were undergoing the active treatment and long-term follow-up phases of care.
This was a randomized, controlled trial with a crossover for the control group receiving group psychotherapy alone.
Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Fatigue (FACT-F)
No difference existed between expressive supportive therapy and stress management and relaxation therapy in group psychotherapy effect in either group. Group psychotherapy and exercise improved quality of life beyond group psychotherapy only in cancer survivors (active treatment and long-term follow-up). The group psychotherapy intervention did not significantly reduce fatigue; however, the addition of moderate-intensity exercise resulted in a statistically significant improvement in fatigue.