Cancer medicine
Virtual Social Interaction and Psychological Capital in Chemotherapy Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial
By Rafat M, Pourhabib A, Mahmoudian A and 3 others.
Abstract
Background
Cancer-related psychological distress remains underaddressed globally. Virtual interventions offer promising alternatives but lack evidence for enhancing Psychological Capital (PsyCap) in chemotherapy patients.
Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a virtual social interaction intervention on PsyCap in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods
This single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) enrolled 76 chemotherapy patients hospitalized in the oncology ward of Imam Sajjad Hospital, Ramsar, Mazandaran, Iran. Participants were selected via convenience sampling and then allocated to intervention or control groups using an odd-even (alternating) assignment method. The intervention group participated in 6 weeks of virtual social interactions, consisting of asynchronous materials (recorded audio, short videos, images, PDF, and PowerPoint files) uploaded weekly to Iranian messaging platforms (Eitaa), as well as live synchronous group sessions conducted on the Skyroom platform with a minimum of 10 participants per session. The control group received standard care. The PsyCap was measured using Luthans' Psychological Capital Questionnaire at both baseline and post-intervention. The Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) models (A/B) were adjusted for baseline scores and age.