Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40842360›Full record

ArticlePalliative & supportive care2025

Evaluating the impact of early dignity therapy on quality of life in patients with brain tumors: A pilot study.

Aaron Palachi, Janet Ellis, Mahiya Habib, Claire Moroney, Elie Isenberg-Grzeda, Margaret Fitch, Mary Jane Esplen, Arjun Saghal, Melissa B Korman

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Palliative & supportive care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Aaron PalachiSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5472-0957
Janet EllisSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Mahiya HabibSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Claire MoroneySunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Elie Isenberg-GrzedaSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8717-8845
Margaret FitchTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Mary Jane EsplenTemerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Arjun SaghalSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Melissa B KormanSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesBrain tumors are associated with negative changes in sense of self and increased distress early in the illness trajectory. Dignity Therapy (DT) is a brief 2-session therapeutic intervention for patients at end-of-life (EOL) that helps conserve a patient's sense of dignity or self. DT has shown positive results for patients at EOL including increased meaning, improved quality of life (QOL), and reduced distress, with limited research to date on patients early in their illness trajectory (non-EOL). This pre-post design pilot study investigated the benefits and feasibility of DT for 2 groups of patients with incurable brain tumors.

methodsA total of 51 participants were recruited, of whom 39 participated. Participants were grouped as EOL (prognosis < 1 year,

resultsThe intervention had a high completion rate, with 37 of 39 participants (95%) completing DT. Linear regression models fitted with generalized estimating equations (GEEs) showed within- and between-group significant changes in all domains for both groups, but were particularly beneficial for non-EOL participants. SIGNIFICANCE OF

resultsThis study demonstrated that DT effectively enhanced psychosocial well-being in patients with brain tumors, including reductions in death anxiety and dignity-related distress. Non-EOL participants benefited most and had higher completion rates, highlighting the intervention's feasibility and the need for further research in earlier stages of terminal illness.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsPsychotherapyQuality of LifeAdultAgedDignity TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsPsychometricsSurveys and Questionnairesbrain cancerDignity therapyearly interventionpalliative carepsychosocial well-being

Identifiers

PMID40842360
PMCPMC13166398

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.