Intervención psicológica basada en el modelo de crisis en pacientes con diagnóstico reciente de leucemia linfoblástica aguda: estudio de cinco casos con diseño AB

Objective: To evaluate changes in self-reported indicators of anxiety, depression, and crisis state during a crisis model–based psychological intervention in patients recently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Method: A single-case AB design was used with five participants. The Crisis State Assessment Scale was administered at the initial assessment. Subsequently, the intensity of the three indicators was measured repeatedly using verbally administered 0–10 numerical rating scales. Changes between phases were examined using the nonoverlap of all pairs (NAP) index. Results: Five patients participated, four of whom were women, aged 18–46 years. A mean of 4.2 sessions was conducted per case, including sessions with patients, family members, or both. All interventions included psychoeducation and a relaxation technique; other strategies were added according to each patient’s needs. Overall mean scores were lower during the intervention phase, and mean NAP values indicated medium-sized changes in anxiety (71.17%), depression (68.14%), and crisis state (73.85%). However, trajectories differed across patients and indicators: mean anxiety scores remained unchanged in P1, whereas mean depression scores increased in P2. All participants completed induction treatment without recorded behavioral or emotional incidents that delayed or prevented its administration. Conclusions: The intervention was feasible in this hospital setting and was associated with an overall reduction in the indicators assessed. Given the heterogeneous trajectories and the limitations of the AB design, these preliminary findings do not establish that the intervention caused the observed changes. Confirmation in studies with greater methodological control is needed.