Publications by authors named "Laura Wilhelm"

Background: Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia (ADRD) report high levels of distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, caregiving burden, and existential suffering; however, those with support and healthy coping strategies have less stress and burden. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to foster greater acceptance of internal events while promoting actions aligned with personal values to increase psychological flexibility in the face of challenges. The objective of this single-arm pilot, Telephone Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Caregivers (TACTICs), was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of an ACT intervention on ADRD caregiver anxiety, depressive symptoms, burden, caregiver suffering, and psychological flexibility.

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Background: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) has a profound negative impact on quality of life (QOL) for many cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors (BCS) are particularly vulnerable, with up to 70% reporting clinically significant FCR. To the authors' knowledge, evidence-based interventions for managing FCR are limited.

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Objective: Dignity therapy (DT) is designed to address psychological and existential challenges that terminally ill individuals face. DT guides patients in developing a written legacy project in which they record and share important memories and messages with those they will leave behind. DT has been demonstrated to ease existential concerns for adults with advanced-stage cancer; however, lack of institutional resources limits wide implementation of DT in clinical practice.

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Purpose: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a disruptive symptom for many survivors. Despite promising evidence for efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in reducing CRF, no trials comparing it to an active comparator for fatigued survivors have been published. The purpose of this trial was to compare MBSR to psychoeducation for CRF and associated symptoms.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a significant issue for cancer survivors, impacting their quality of life, and this study explores the potential benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in addressing this problem.
  • In a randomized pilot study involving 71 breast and colorectal cancer survivors, those who participated in MBSR showed significantly better cognitive improvement over time compared to those in a fatigue education support group, particularly on tests measuring attention and accuracy.
  • The findings suggest that MBSR may provide lasting benefits for CRCI, highlighting the need for further research to confirm these results and explore the mechanisms behind the cognitive improvements observed.
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