Study on the effect of nursing intervention based on the broaden-and-build theory on the psychosocial adaptability of patients with minimally invasive ablation of liver cancer

Support Care Cancer. 2025 Sep 12;33(10):847. doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09906-8.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the effect of nursing intervention based on the broaden-and-build theory on the psychosocial adaptability of patients with minimally invasive ablation of liver cancer.

METHOD: A total of 100 patients with liver cancer undergoing minimally invasive ablation were selected and randomly divided into two groups. The control group consisted of 50 patients who received routine nursing intervention and Health education. The intervention group consisted of 50 patients who received nursing intervention based on the broaden-and-build theory in addition to routine nursing intervention and Health education. Data were collected and compared using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, the Self-rating Depression Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Strategies Used by People to Promote Health self-report and the Gratitude Questionnaire 6. Significance was verified by the independent samples t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance and χ² test, and confounders were controlled for using randomised grouping, baseline comparability analysis and single-blind design.

RESULTS: After 3 and 6 months of intervention, patients in the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in anxiety scores (28.16 ± 8.24 vs. 33.04 ± 8.02; 32.16 ± 8.24 vs. 36.18 ± 7.09), depression scores (25.73 ± 9.18 vs. 35.91 ± 10.99; 29.73 ± 9.18 vs. 37.33 ± 9.13) and sleep quality scores (10.22 ± 2.95 vs. 11.33 ± 2.21; 12.16 ± 2.87 vs. 13.53 ± 2.14) than those in the control group (all p < 0.001) and greater improvement in self-efficacy (125.98 ± 12.81 vs. 115.49 ± 20.06; 115.53 ± 12.12 vs. 102.31 ± 26.47) and gratitude levels (40.20 ± 2.08 vs. 35.87 ± 6.29; 39.44 ± 2.31 vs. 35.13 ± 6.10) (all p < 0.05). This suggests that the nursing intervention based on the extended construct theory of gratitude effectively improved the psychological health and quality of life of patients undergoing minimally invasive ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

CONCLUSION: Nursing intervention based on the broaden-and-build theory can effectively reduce the negative emotions of patients with minimally invasive ablation of liver cancer by improving sleep quality, self-efficacy and gratitude level.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on http://www.chictr.org.cn ‘ChiCTR2400093603’ on 9 December 2024.

PMID:40935954 | DOI:10.1007/s00520-025-09906-8