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LiveWell: Pilot Feasibility Trial of an Adapted Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Protocol in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hyland, KA; Neacsiu, AD; Fisher, HM; Cowperthwait, CM; Chou, N; Stinchcombe, TE; Oeffinger, KC; Porter, LS; Dorfman, CS; Keefe, FJ; Somers, TJ
Published in: Psychooncology
December 2025

BACKGROUND: People living longer with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) experience heightened psychological distress and decrements in quality of life. Therefore, we developed LiveWell, an 8-session adapted dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST) protocol delivered one-on-one via telehealth to reduce psychological distress. AIM: To conduct a single-arm pilot trial examining the feasibility and acceptability of LiveWell and explore change in outcome variables. METHODS: Patients receiving systemic therapy for mNSCLC with at least mild distress participated. Outcomes were feasibility (accrual N = 30 in 18 months, > 80% sessions attended, < 25% attrition) and acceptability (> 80% participant satisfaction). Distress (depression and anxiety symptoms; primary outcomes), intolerance of uncertainty, emotion regulation, illness acceptance, symptoms (e.g., fatigue, dyspnea, pain), skill use, and quality of life (secondary outcomes) were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (primary endpoint), and 1-month post-intervention and examined with paired sample t-tests. RESULTS: Thirty participants (Mage = 63 years, 77% female) consented and completed the baseline assessment. LiveWell met feasibility (accrual N = 30 in 8 months, 93% sessions attended, 87% retention at post-intervention) and acceptability (96% satisfaction) benchmarks. Participants demonstrated reductions in distress (depression d = 0.35, anxiety d = 0.22) from baseline to post-treatment. Intolerance of uncertainty (d = 0.71), emotion regulation (d = 0.49), and illness acceptance (d = 0.45) improved. Fatigue and pain remained stable or improved (d's 0.07-0.38). Skill use increased (d = 0.65) and quality of life improved (d = 0.21). Improvements were maintained or enhanced at 1-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: LiveWell was feasible and acceptable, and participants demonstrated promising improvement in primary and secondary outcomes. Findings support a larger randomized efficacy trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04973436.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Psychooncology

DOI

EISSN

1099-1611

Publication Date

December 2025

Volume

34

Issue

12

Start / End Page

e70357

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Telemedicine
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Quality of Life
  • Psychological Distress
  • Pilot Projects
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Lung Neoplasms
  • Humans
 

Citation

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Hyland, K. A., Neacsiu, A. D., Fisher, H. M., Cowperthwait, C. M., Chou, N., Stinchcombe, T. E., … Somers, T. J. (2025). LiveWell: Pilot Feasibility Trial of an Adapted Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Protocol in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Psychooncology, 34(12), e70357. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70357
Hyland, Kelly A., Andrada D. Neacsiu, Hannah M. Fisher, Colleen M. Cowperthwait, Natalie Chou, Thomas E. Stinchcombe, Kevin C. Oeffinger, et al. “LiveWell: Pilot Feasibility Trial of an Adapted Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Protocol in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Psychooncology 34, no. 12 (December 2025): e70357. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70357.
Hyland KA, Neacsiu AD, Fisher HM, Cowperthwait CM, Chou N, Stinchcombe TE, et al. LiveWell: Pilot Feasibility Trial of an Adapted Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Protocol in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Psychooncology. 2025 Dec;34(12):e70357.
Hyland, Kelly A., et al. “LiveWell: Pilot Feasibility Trial of an Adapted Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Protocol in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Psychooncology, vol. 34, no. 12, Dec. 2025, p. e70357. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/pon.70357.
Hyland KA, Neacsiu AD, Fisher HM, Cowperthwait CM, Chou N, Stinchcombe TE, Oeffinger KC, Porter LS, Dorfman CS, Keefe FJ, Somers TJ. LiveWell: Pilot Feasibility Trial of an Adapted Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Training Protocol in Patients With Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Psychooncology. 2025 Dec;34(12):e70357.
Journal cover image

Published In

Psychooncology

DOI

EISSN

1099-1611

Publication Date

December 2025

Volume

34

Issue

12

Start / End Page

e70357

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Telemedicine
  • Stress, Psychological
  • Quality of Life
  • Psychological Distress
  • Pilot Projects
  • Oncology & Carcinogenesis
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Lung Neoplasms
  • Humans