A Randomised Controlled Trial of Cognitive Existential Couple Therapy for early stage prostate cancer patients and their partners: use of a manualised therapy in a cancer affecting older men. — ASN Events
  1. Schedule
  2. IPOS Symposium - Well-being of older cancer patients: Identification of specific characteristics, care needs and interventions
  3. A Randomised Controlled Trial of Cognitive Existential Couple Therapy for early stage prostate cancer patients and their partners: use of a manualised therapy in a cancer affecting older men.

A Randomised Controlled Trial of Cognitive Existential Couple Therapy for early stage prostate cancer patients and their partners: use of a manualised therapy in a cancer affecting older men. (#43)

Jeremy Couper 1 , Sidney Bloch 2 , Anthony Love 3 , Gillian Duchesne 1
  1. Peter Mac Callum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  2. Department of Psychaitry, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  3. School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

A Randomised Controlled Trial of a manualised couple therapy specifically designed for men with early stage prostate cancer and their partners has been underway at Melbourne’s Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (a stand-alone cancer centre) and Austin Hospital (a large metropolitan general hospital with a large cancer program). Recruitment of couples has been slower than anticipated but in excess of 60 couples have been enrolled and randomised to either Cognitive Existential Couple Therapy delivered by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist over 5 to 6 sessions on campus at the two hospitals or Medical Treatment as Usual. Generally good levels of retention, once enrolled, have been achieved. Comparisons between older participants and younger participants of level of psychological distress and Quality of Life at enrolment, retention in the study, and the experience of therapists with younger and older participants will be presented.