Recent evidence suggest that transdiagnostic interventions may be just as effective as traditional diagnosis specific interventions when treating symptoms of depression and anxiety. Brief lay-led transdiagnostic self-management interventions may therefore offer an efficient alternative to traditional symptom specific interventions (e.g. CBT) when targeting symptoms of depression and anxiety in cancer.~The present study aim to evaluate The Anxiety and Depression Symptom Management Program (ADSMP) in a cancer setting (ADSMP-C). The ADSMP is a Danish adaptation of The Stanford University Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) and is developed by the Danish Health Information Committee (In Danish: Komiteen for Sundhedsoplysning in collaboration with The Expert Patient Program Community Interest Company (EPPCIC), the English Health Service (NHS) and Stanford University.~The ADSMP-C is a lay-led, group-based transdiagnostic patient education program consisting of seven 2 ½ hour weekly sessions focusing on increasing patient self-efficacy in symptom management of anxiety and depression concluded with a networking session. The intervention is highly structured and manualized. Sub-group analyses on participants with a history of cancer in a larger trial of ADSMP conducted by members of the study group on behalf of the Danish National Board of Health showed promising results. However, a larger study is needed to establish sound scientific evidence on the effectiveness of the program in a cancer setting.~A total 234 cancer patients recently having completed primary treatment with curative intent in central Region Denmark will be randomized (2:1) to ADSMP-C or a control arm respectively. As a part of the recruitment procedure patients will be screened with The Distress-Thermometer at the departments of oncology at the two largest hospitals in Central Region, Denmark following primary treatment or at a follow-up (< 1yrs. after primary treatment).~Participants completes online questionnaires (REDCap) at baseline (pre-randomization), at post-intervention, and at three (primary follow-up) and six months post-intervention, including the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Spielbergers State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-state) (primary outcomes). In addition, all participants will be interviewed at 7 month post-intervention. Outcome assessors, blind to group allocation, will perform observer-based Hamilton A6 and D6 short-form ratings at the interview (secondary outcomes).~Data will be evaluated by mixed-effects regression analyses (intention-to-treat).~The current study will be the first to evaluate the efficacy of ADSMP in a cancer setting.
The investigators aim to evaluate a peer-to-peer patient self-management program targeting symptoms of anxiety and depression in a randomized trial. A total of 234 cancer patients recently having completed primary treatment with curative intent in central Region Denmark will be included. The intervention is a lay-led, group-based transdiagnostic patient education program consisting of seven 2 ½ hour weekly sessions focusing on increasing patient self-efficacy in symptom management of anxiety and depression. The intervention is highly structured and manualized.