Tailored psychoeducation for multiple myeloma patients: a step toward enhancing quality of life and health outcomes

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) experience various symptoms throughout their treatment and have psychosocial needs that must be addressed. This study aims to develop and evaluate a psychoeducation program for MM patients, assessing its impact on supportive care needs, health-promoting lifestyle, and quality of life. A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was used. The experimental group received individual weekly 90-minute psychoeducation sessions for 5 weeks, while the control group received routine care. Supportive care needs, health-promoting lifestyle, and quality of life (QOL) were evaluated before, immediately after, and 4 weeks after the program. Supportive care needs decreased in the experimental group after the intervention; no significant change occurred in the control group. Health-promoting behaviours improved in the experimental group, while the control group showed no significant change. Physical and emotional functioning improved in the experimental group, but declined in the control group. MM-related QOL domains, such as symptoms and treatment side effects, improved in the experimental group, while they worsened in the control group. The psychoeducation program developed and applied in this study improved health-promoting behaviours and QOL for MM patients, providing a foundation for developing tailored programs in the future.