Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41285488›Full record

ArticleJournal of palliative medicine2026

Mechanisms of Dignity Therapy: Positive Outcomes in Older Cancer Patients.

Susan Bluck, Mary Kate Koch, Yingwei Yao, Alyssa Crowe, Kiana Cogdill-Richardson, Harvey Max Chochinov, Diana Wilkie, Emily L Mroz, Sheri Kittelson, Linda Emanuel and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of palliative medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

11 authors.

Susan BluckDepartment of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Mary Kate KochDepartment of Psychology, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, USA.
Yingwei YaoDepartment of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Alyssa CroweDepartment of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Kiana Cogdill-RichardsonDepartment of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Harvey Max ChochinovDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba and Cancer Care Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Diana WilkieDepartment of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Emily L MrozNell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Sheri KittelsonDepartment of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
Linda EmanuelDivision of General Internal Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Carma L BylundDepartment of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.

Funding

Dignity Therapy RCT led by Nurses or Chaplains for Elderly Cancer OutpatientsR01CA200867 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI EMANUEL, LINDA LEAH, FITCHETT, GEORGE · 2016 to 2020
$3.2M
Dignity Therapy for Older Cancer Patients: Identifying Mechanisms and ModeratorsR01CA253330 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA · PI BLUCK, SUSAN, BYLUND, CARMA L. · 2021 to 2023
$1.0M
Preparedness for Caregiving in Experienced Caregivers of Persons Living with DementiaK22AG088144 · NIA · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI Emily L. Mroz · 2025 to 2026
$324k
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA200867NCI NIH HHS R01 CA253330NIA NIH HHS K22 AG088144
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate two mechanisms, patient-level narrative richness and provider-patient empathy, of positive outcomes following Dignity Therapy, to focus provider training and intervention delivery.

backgroundDignity Therapy is a brief reminiscence-based psychotherapeutic intervention designed to help seriously ill patients preserve dignity, reduce distress, and improve quality of life. Identifying mechanisms through which the therapy works can improve training and delivery of this increasingly popular intervention.

methodsOutpatients living with cancer (

resultsThe extent of narrative richness in patients' Dignity Therapy sessions was positively associated with post-test dignity (

conclusionsDignity Therapy benefits patients most when they richly engage in the process, narrating their life story and describing their legacy with elements of communion, meaning, and purpose. Future research might aim to follow up on forms of empathy or other provider behavior that elicit rich narratives during therapy.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsPalliative CarePersonhoodPsychotherapyRespectAgedAged, 80 and overDignity TherapyEmpathyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeUnited Statesagingcancerdignityempathynarrativepsychosocial

Identifiers

PMID41285488
PMCPMC12758941

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Registered trials

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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.