University of Twente Student Theses
Life after cancer : an intervention study on the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary ACT rehabilitation program developed for cancer survivors in the Netherlands
Kuijs, R. (2021) Life after cancer : an intervention study on the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary ACT rehabilitation program developed for cancer survivors in the Netherlands.
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| Abstract: | Background: Currently, 800.000 people are living with or have survived cancer in the Netherlands and cancer incidents and survival rates continue to grow rapidly. Cancer survivorship is a complex issue, which has led to a rising need for more research and better organised healthcare systems to aid cancer survivors in their transition from the diagnosis and treatment phase to the post-treatment phase. The aim of the current study is to examine the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary ACT rehabilitation program for cancer survivors, in comparison to a low-symptom group and a complex-symptom group. The possible role of self-efficacy as a mediator is also explored. Methods: The study is a single-arm intervention study for which data from 731 participants undergoing treatment, was obtained over the course of 10 years. Results: Repeated measure analyses showed that for both groups, the multidisciplinary ACT program was effective in improving patients’ individual strength, role functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning and self-efficacy. Main effects for group demonstrated that patients from the low-symptom group reported higher individual strength, emotional functioning, cognitive functioning and social functioning at the end of the program. Results from mediation analyses showed that self-efficacy was either a full or partial mediator on all outcome variables at the end of the treatment. When comparing between the low-symptom and complex-symptom group, no mediating effects of self-efficacy were found for the low-symptom group. Implications: An implication for future research may be to focus on expanding research on the effectiveness of multidisciplinary treatment interventions in comparison to monodisciplinary treatment interventions. Furthermore, in the development of future interventions for cancer survivors this study suggests to consider incorporating self-efficacy as an element into the treatment. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/88731 |
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