Brief Group Psychotherapy as Part of Postoperative Rehabilitation in Oropharyngeal Cancer: Effects on Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depression

Beyond the severe physical consequences of the disease and its treatment, oropharyngeal cancer places a heavy psychological burden on patients, manifesting as anxiety, depression and a marked decline in quality of life. This study aimed to assess how effective a short-term group psychotherapy programme is when applied during the postoperative rehabilitation of patients with oropharyngeal cancer. A randomised controlled study enrolled 72 surgically treated patients, who were allocated either to an intervention group (n = 24) that received short-term group psychotherapy or to a control group (n = 48) that received standard postoperative follow-up. The programme combined psychodynamic group sessions, relaxation training, coping-skills training, art therapy, music therapy and family-oriented support. Quality of life was measured with the SF-36 questionnaire, and anxiety and depression with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Data were analysed using logistic regression and Pearson’s χ² test (significance level p < 0.05). Three weeks after the start of the programme, the intervention group showed significant gains in the physical component of health: bodily pain scores rose by 26.99% and general health by 20.68%; in the psychological component, the mental health scale improved by 15.45% relative to the control group. Patients who received psychotherapy also had fewer cases of clinically significant anxiety and depression and adapted better psychosocially. Short-term group psychotherapy therefore appears to be an effective adjunct to standard oncological care after surgery for oropharyngeal cancer, and its inclusion in rehabilitation pathways may improve overall treatment outcomes and patient adaptation.