Cognitive behavior group intervention on the depression of patients with acute leukemia

Objective To investigate the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which is dominated by nurses, on depression in patients with acute leukemia. Methods Patients with acute leukemia admitted to the Department of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were evaluated with a rapid depressive symptom (QIDS-SR16) self-rating scale. Patients with a score higher than 11 were psychiatrists from the Shanghai Mental Health Center. Interviews and Hamilton Depression Rating (HAMD-17) assessment and clinical stereotype examination (SCID-I) diagnostic screening were performed. Patients with significant depressive symptoms who met the inclusion criteria were included (without considering DSM-5 diagnosis for depressive disorder). The computer random number method was assigned to the control group (group C), the therapist-led group CBT group (group T), the group CBT group with the nurse as the main body and therapists as the supervisors (group N). The group C was given the conventional method and the group T and N was given the standardized group CBT once a week for 8 weeks. Interviews were performed at baseline (before intervention), 4 weeks, and 8 weekends to assess the HAMD scale score. Results Finally, 90 patients were enrolled, 30 in each group. At the end of the 4th week, the HAMD scale score (22.60±2.71) in the group T was lower than that before the intervention (25.77±2.93), and lower than the group N (24.57±2.82) and the group C (25.90± 3.88), the difference was statistically significant (t=5.395, 7.473, P<0.01 or 0.05). At the end of the 8th week, the group T (21.00±2.18) and the group N had a HAMD scale score (19.30±2.45) lower than the pre-intervention (25.77±2.93, 25.90±3.26), and were lower than the group C (24.80±3.56), the difference was statistically significant (t=6.192, 7.323, P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions CBT can improve the anxiety and depressive symptoms of patients with acute leukemia, and it is worthy of popularization and application. Key words: Nurses; Cognitive-behavioral therapy; Acute leukemia; Depression