Application of Affective Touch in Patients With Advanced Cancer: Effects on Existential Distress, Pain, and Quality of Life
Abstract
Background: Patients with advanced cancer generally experience adverse physical and mental burdens. As a nondrug approach, affective touch provides support for oncology nurses in helping patients with advanced cancer overcome these burdens.
Purpose: This study was designed to implement an affective touch intervention for patients with advanced cancer to explore its effects on existential distress, pain, and quality of life in this vulnerable patient population.
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 83 patients with advanced cancer were allocated randomly to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group received the affective touch intervention once a day for 2 weeks. General data were collected from all of the participants before the intervention. Existential Distress Scale and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General scores were collected both before and 2 weeks after the intervention. Average pain levels on the Brief Pain Inventory were collected before and at weeks 1 and 2 of the intervention. Current pain levels were collected daily after the intervention.
Results: After completing the 2-week intervention, the total scores for the control and experimental groups were, respectively, 8.15 ± 2.23 and 6.60 ± 2.75 (p < .05) for existential distress and 50.24 ± 12.35 and 57.24 ± 14.26 (<.001) for quality of life, showing a significant improvement effect for the intervention. Affective touch was shown to have an immediate ameliorative effect on…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 83 participants or records.
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