Transcript PowerPoint-presentation

Evaluation of an acceptance-based intervention for children
and adolescents with mucositis during cancer treatment
Jenny Thorsell Cederberg1, JoAnne Dahl2, Louise von Essen3 & Gustaf Ljungman1
1 Department
of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University
2 Department of Psychology, Uppsala University
3 Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Introduction
Aim
Mucositis, a condition of painful ulcers and/or
inflammation orally or gastro-intestinally, is a
common side effect of cancer treatment. In
the pediatric population approximately 80 %
of patients are affected. According to children
and their parents the condition is one of the
most painful and debilitating side effects
during the whole cancer treatment period.
Psychological acceptance has been
shown beneficial for persons with chronic
pain. Regarding acute pain, acceptancebased methods have fairly recently started to
become evaluated scientifically, showing
promising results. Meditation interventions
for induced experimental pain, with an
emphasis on mere observation of painful
stimuli without further mental processing in a
non-reactive, non-judging way, completely
corresponding to the process of acceptance,
have been shown to predict increased pain
tolerance and decreased pain intensity and
experienced unpleasantness of pain.
The aim of the present study is to evaluate
an acceptance-based intervention for
children and adolescents with cancer
affected by mucositis.
Methods
All participants, aged 4-18 years, from the
Pediatric Oncology Units in the Uppsala and
Stockholm regions (Eskilstuna, Falun, Gävle,
Hudiksvall, Uppsala, Västerås, Örebro,
Huddinge and Solna), undergoing cytostatic
treatment, radiation therapy and/or stem cell
transplantation and showing symptoms of
mucositis will be eligible for the study.
The
intervention
consists
of
psychoeducation about common reactions to
pain and how it affects short- and long term
functioning and modelling of, and exercises
to practice, an acceptance-based approach
to painful stimuli.
Results
The study is currently on-going. Results will
be reported as soon as possible after end of
study.
An example of mucositis.
Acknowledgments: The study is funded by the
Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no
conflict of interest.