None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
In people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, psychological interventions usually target generalised anxiety and depression rather than the sensation of breathlessness. The objectives of this pilot study were to develop and implement a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) program specific to the perceptual experience of breathlessness, estimate any beneficial effect of combining the CBT program with comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation and identify any practical issues in the study protocol.
Interventions
The cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program for the sensation of breathlessness (BREVE) was developed as a sequential series of eight modules (one hour for each of the eight weeks of the comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program (CPRP). Each week participants’ attended a group session facilitated by a psychologist, supported by a program manual. Each week’s module included a brief educational component (15 minutes presentation maximum), discussion of a key concept, individual reflecti
The cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) program for the sensation of breathlessness (BREVE) was developed as a sequential series of eight modules (one hour for each of the eight weeks of the comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program (CPRP). Each week participants’ attended a group session facilitated by a psychologist, supported by a program manual. Each week’s module included a brief educational component (15 minutes presentation maximum), discussion of a key concept, individual reflective activity, and explanation of homework tasks including examples / demonstration and clarification of the task to be practiced during the supervised exercise sessions for the week. The psychologist also attended the supervised exercise sessions in order to coach individuals while breathless in key tasks and techniques relevant to each module. Each week of the standard eight week CPRP included two , one hour group exercise sessions supervised by a physiotherapist (circuit training; only one supervised session in week 8) and two hours of knowledge-based group education provided by a variety of health professionals (physiotherapist, psychologist, occupational therapist, respiratory nurse, and dietician) . Participants were also encouraged to exercise daily at home (walking program). The total number of face to face sessions for the CPRP was 31 (16 education and 15 exercise sessions). The cognitive behavioural therapy program commenced in the first week of the eight week comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program. The BREVE program manual included specific sections for recording activities completed within the group class and for completion of homework tasks.
Sponsors
Marie Williams
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
People with chronic respiratory conditions and associated breathing difficulties, intending to undertake the eight week comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation program at Repatriation General Hospital (RGH) in Adelaide, South Australia
Exclusion criteria
Cognitive or memory impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination score less than 23/30), clinically unstable respiratory or cardiac diseases or co-morbidities likely to render exercise unsafe (determined by RGH respiratory physician), or were currently registered for lung volume reduction surgery or lung transplantation.
Outcome results
None listed