Photo Credit: Cesare Ferrari

The following is a summary of “Well-Being Therapy in systemic sclerosis outpatients: a randomized controlled trial,” published in the February 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Romanazzo et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate the effectiveness of Well-Being Therapy (WBT) in addressing psychological distress and enhancing well-being in patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) through a randomized controlled trial.

They randomized 32 outpatients (1:1) to either WBT (n = 16) or Treatment As Usual (TAU) (n = 16). The primary outcome assessed was well-being, with secondary outcomes including functional ability related to SSc, psychological distress, mental pain, and suffering. All participants underwent baseline assessment (T0). The WBT group was evaluated at the end of sessions 4 (T1), 8 (T2), 3-month follow-up (T3), and 6-month follow-up (T4). The TAU group was assessed at the corresponding time points: two (T1), four (T2), seven (T3), and ten (T4) months after baseline.

The results showed that WBT led to significant improvements in subjective well-being (P≤0.001), personal growth (P=0.006), and self-acceptance (P=0.003) compared to TAU, which was maintained at T3, particularly in subjective well-being (P=0.012). WBT also resulted in a more significant reduction in psychological distress (P=0.010), mental pain (P=0.010), and suffering (P≤0.001) compared to TAU, with these effects sustained at T4, particularly regarding suffering (P≤0.001). Participants expressed high satisfaction with WBT.

Investigators concluded that while preliminary evidence suggests the benefits of WBT for SSc patients, larger studies are needed before recommending it for both in- and outpatient settings.

Source: academic.oup.com/rheumatology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/rheumatology/keae114/7609796