Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33460907›Full record

ArticleSexual medicine2021

Effect of Stepped Care on Sexual Interest and Enjoyment in Distressed Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Laura E R Schutte, Heleen C Melissant, Femke Jansen, Birgit I Lissenberg-Witte, C René Leemans, Mirjam A G Sprangers, Marije R Vergeer, Irma M Verdonck-de Leeuw, Ellen T M Laan

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sexual medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 36% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Laura E R SchutteDepartment of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Heleen C MelissantDepartment of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Femke JansenDepartment of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Birgit I Lissenberg-WitteDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
C René LeemansDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Mirjam A G SprangersDepartment of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Marije R VergeerDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Irma M Verdonck-de LeeuwDepartment of Clinical, Neuro- and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location VUmc, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Ellen T M LaanDepartment of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: e.t.laan@amsterdamumc.nl.
Amsterdam University Medical Centers · NLVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NLUniversity of Amsterdam · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionA recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) with psychological distress showed that a stepped care (SC) program targeting psychological distress compared with care as usual (CAU), is (cost)effective in reducing psychological distress.

aimThe aim of the present study was to investigate whether SC can coalleviate problems with sexual interest and enjoyment. A secondary aim was to investigate whether the presence of an unmet sexual health need and having a psychiatric disorder (depression or anxiety) at baseline moderated any effect of SC on these sexual variables until 1-year follow-up.

methodsHNC survivors (N = 134), randomized to SC or CAU, were assessed regarding their sexual interest and enjoyment before and after the intervention and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months follow-up. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate differences in the course of sexual interest and enjoyment between SC and CAU.

main outcome measureThe "sexuality" symptom subscale, part of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, Quality of Life Questionnaire, Head and Neck Cancer-specific module.

resultsOf all patients, 76.1% had an unmet sexual need at baseline, 24.6% had a psychiatric disorder (anxiety or depression). SC did not reduce problems with sexual interest and enjoyment at any of the follow-up measurements compared with CAU (P = .85). This was neither moderated by an unmet sexual health need at baseline (P = .64) nor by the presence of a psychiatric disorder at baseline (P = .59).

conclusionA substantial number of patients with HNC have unmet sexual health needs. SC targeting psychological distress does not reduce problems with sexuality in these patients. Interventions specifically targeting sexuality are recommended. Schutte LER, Melissant HC, Jansen F, et al. Effect of Stepped Care on Sexual Interest and Enjoyment in Distressed Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Sex Med 2021;9:100304.

Indexed as

DistressHead and neck cancerQuality of lifeRCTSexualityStepped care

Identifiers

PMID33460907
PMCPMC7930858
OpenAlexW3118758074

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.