Up to half of patients affected by cancer will experience psychosocial distress. Emotional and physical symptoms are two common facets of psychosocial distress. For those managing cancer, unmet psychosocial needs can lead to lower quality of life, poorer adherence to medical treatments, and increased healthcare costs. In a recent study investigating White, African American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander patients, it was found that African American patients were significantly more likely to experience clinical levels of psychosocial distress.
Inova Life with Cancer® has developed Mind Over Matter (MOM), a group psychosocial program designed to teach emotional coping skills to anyone affected by cancer. MOM consists of five, 1.5-hour sessions. The foundational theories of MOM are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance \& Commitment Therapy (ACT), and the physiology of the stress response. Each session introduces a core cognitive concept and a different relaxation exercise. These sessions are structured and educational, with a focus on building skills, and are not a therapy or a support group. At the end of each session, participants are given exercises to practice the core cognitive concept and the relaxation at home. Participants are also offered optional reading to support the core cognitive concept. Practice outside of the class is vital. Thus, it is important to allow enough time to process and review the home practice exercises each week - this is the core of the program.
A retrospective secondary data analysis of the MOM intervention found a significant decrease in anxiety, depression, physical symptom severity, and physical symptom interference from pre- to post-test.
