Humour interventions for patients in palliative care—a randomized controlled trial

Lisa Linge-Dahl; Rainer Kreuz; Mieke Stoffelen; Sonja Heintz; Willibald Ruch; Hirschhausen E von; Lukas Radbruch

doi:10.1007/s00520-023-07606-9

Humour interventions for patients in palliative care—a randomized controlled trial

Lisa Linge-Dahl^*, Rainer Kreuz, Mieke Stoffelen, Sonja Heintz, Willibald Ruch, Hirschhausen E von, Lukas Radbruch

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The effect of humour on end-of-life patients could be beneficial and is worth investigating. However, data on humour interventions for patients in palliative care are scarce. This study evaluated the effects of a humour intervention in a palliative care setting. Methods A two-step intervention was developed based on the humour habits programme by McGhee. Patients were assisted to remember funny episodes from their past and recognize humorous aspects of the present and encouraged to produce humour. The intervention and control group completed questionnaires on life satisfaction, cheerfulness, symptom burden, and perceived stress and if possible gave saliva samples to investigate oxytocin levels. The study was a randomized controlled monocentre study on patients treated in a palliative care ward. Participants had to be conscious and alert enough to complete data collection. Overall, 55 patients were included and randomized to the intervention or control group. Results Parameters in the control group did not change significantly. In the intervention group, seriousness, bad mood, and stress were reduced. Cheerfulness increased significantly after the intervention. However, the methodologically complex intervention setting was too exhausting for the majority of patients. Conclusion Patients who were able to participate benefited from the effects of the intervention on multiple levels. For future research simple interventions, biomarkers for well-being and assessments by staff or proxies are needed to include patients with reduced cognitive and physical performance status at the end of their lives. Trial registration DRKS00028978 German Registry of Clinical Studies.

Original language	English
Number of pages	0
Journal	Supportive Care in Cancer
Volume	31
Issue number	3
Early online date	13 Feb 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-023-07606-9
Publication status	Published - 13 Feb 2023

Access to Document

10.1007/s00520-023-07606-9

S00520-023-07606-9

Cite this

@article{8b860ccf58dc4a9097729b584054a1d4,

title = "Humour interventions for patients in palliative care—a randomized controlled trial",

abstract = "Abstract Purpose The effect of humour on end-of-life patients could be beneficial and is worth investigating. However, data on humour interventions for patients in palliative care are scarce. This study evaluated the effects of a humour intervention in a palliative care setting. Methods A two-step intervention was developed based on the humour habits programme by McGhee. Patients were assisted to remember funny episodes from their past and recognize humorous aspects of the present and encouraged to produce humour. The intervention and control group completed questionnaires on life satisfaction, cheerfulness, symptom burden, and perceived stress and if possible gave saliva samples to investigate oxytocin levels. The study was a randomized controlled monocentre study on patients treated in a palliative care ward. Participants had to be conscious and alert enough to complete data collection. Overall, 55 patients were included and randomized to the intervention or control group. Results Parameters in the control group did not change significantly. In the intervention group, seriousness, bad mood, and stress were reduced. Cheerfulness increased significantly after the intervention. However, the methodologically complex intervention setting was too exhausting for the majority of patients. Conclusion Patients who were able to participate benefited from the effects of the intervention on multiple levels. For future research simple interventions, biomarkers for well-being and assessments by staff or proxies are needed to include patients with reduced cognitive and physical performance status at the end of their lives. Trial registration DRKS00028978 German Registry of Clinical Studies. ",

author = "Lisa Linge-Dahl and Rainer Kreuz and Mieke Stoffelen and Sonja Heintz and Willibald Ruch and von, {Hirschhausen E} and Lukas Radbruch",

year = "2023",

month = feb,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1007/s00520-023-07606-9",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

journal = "Supportive Care in Cancer",

issn = "0941-4355",

publisher = "Springer Verlag",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Humour interventions for patients in palliative care—a randomized controlled trial

AU - Linge-Dahl, Lisa

AU - Kreuz, Rainer

AU - Stoffelen, Mieke

AU - Heintz, Sonja

AU - Ruch, Willibald

AU - von, Hirschhausen E

AU - Radbruch, Lukas

PY - 2023/2/13

Y1 - 2023/2/13

N2 - Abstract Purpose The effect of humour on end-of-life patients could be beneficial and is worth investigating. However, data on humour interventions for patients in palliative care are scarce. This study evaluated the effects of a humour intervention in a palliative care setting. Methods A two-step intervention was developed based on the humour habits programme by McGhee. Patients were assisted to remember funny episodes from their past and recognize humorous aspects of the present and encouraged to produce humour. The intervention and control group completed questionnaires on life satisfaction, cheerfulness, symptom burden, and perceived stress and if possible gave saliva samples to investigate oxytocin levels. The study was a randomized controlled monocentre study on patients treated in a palliative care ward. Participants had to be conscious and alert enough to complete data collection. Overall, 55 patients were included and randomized to the intervention or control group. Results Parameters in the control group did not change significantly. In the intervention group, seriousness, bad mood, and stress were reduced. Cheerfulness increased significantly after the intervention. However, the methodologically complex intervention setting was too exhausting for the majority of patients. Conclusion Patients who were able to participate benefited from the effects of the intervention on multiple levels. For future research simple interventions, biomarkers for well-being and assessments by staff or proxies are needed to include patients with reduced cognitive and physical performance status at the end of their lives. Trial registration DRKS00028978 German Registry of Clinical Studies.

AB - Abstract Purpose The effect of humour on end-of-life patients could be beneficial and is worth investigating. However, data on humour interventions for patients in palliative care are scarce. This study evaluated the effects of a humour intervention in a palliative care setting. Methods A two-step intervention was developed based on the humour habits programme by McGhee. Patients were assisted to remember funny episodes from their past and recognize humorous aspects of the present and encouraged to produce humour. The intervention and control group completed questionnaires on life satisfaction, cheerfulness, symptom burden, and perceived stress and if possible gave saliva samples to investigate oxytocin levels. The study was a randomized controlled monocentre study on patients treated in a palliative care ward. Participants had to be conscious and alert enough to complete data collection. Overall, 55 patients were included and randomized to the intervention or control group. Results Parameters in the control group did not change significantly. In the intervention group, seriousness, bad mood, and stress were reduced. Cheerfulness increased significantly after the intervention. However, the methodologically complex intervention setting was too exhausting for the majority of patients. Conclusion Patients who were able to participate benefited from the effects of the intervention on multiple levels. For future research simple interventions, biomarkers for well-being and assessments by staff or proxies are needed to include patients with reduced cognitive and physical performance status at the end of their lives. Trial registration DRKS00028978 German Registry of Clinical Studies.

U2 - 10.1007/s00520-023-07606-9

DO - 10.1007/s00520-023-07606-9

M3 - Article

SN - 0941-4355

VL - 31

JO - Supportive Care in Cancer

JF - Supportive Care in Cancer

IS - 3

ER -

Humour interventions for patients in palliative care—a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this