Research Update: Coaching Guides Cancer Survivors to Better Health

Most coaches would argue passionately that coaching changes lives. But does coaching save lives?

New research suggests wellness coaching may make significant strides for recovering cancer patients, putting them on track for healthier, longer lives. “We are excited about our initial results,” said Dr. Mary Lou Galantino, a professor at Stockton College and Adjunct Research Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania who was the principal investigator on the new study.

The study, published in the International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, is among the first to test the efficacy of wellness coaching, a recent field of coaching based on the “growing science of coaching psychology which draws from 15 or more theories or evidence-based domains,” according to the report.

“From a multi-disciplinary view, wellness coaching is one such modality that allows the individual to discuss issues that impact their health and well-being, regardless of the discipline. Wellness coaches can support follow through of recommendations given by doctors, nurses, social workers, dietitians, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, psychologists and other professionals.”

Wellness coaches have long believed their work made profound differences, especially among some of the twelve million cancer survivors in the U.S., people who are often at risk of developing a second cancer, and are under increased risk of associated illnesses, such as hypertension. And yet recent surveys cited in the study found survivors found maintaining a healthy lifestyle challenging.

” Less than one quarter of cancer survivors were physically active on a regular basis, with more than 18% being obese, and 34% overweight. Only 5% met guidelines for a cluster of healthy behaviors, including fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and cessation of smoking,” the researchers found.

The researchers wanted to know if wellness coaches could help turn those statistics around, an idea that dates back to 2004, when wellness coach Pam Schmid was diagnosed with breast cancer. ““Being a professional, I knew what I needed to do to be healthy and feel my best, yet so many obstacles came my way. I watched others struggle and saw no real support for them,” said Schmid. “Some health behaviors can reduce risk of recurrence or dying of their cancer as much as 50%. It’s critical to support survivors to do the things they can do to not only improve their risks but to improve their quality of life.”

In the study, 30 cancer survivors–they included survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer–received six coaching sessions over a three-month period. The coachees were followed for a year after the intervention to evaluate the sustainability of changes. The coachees were asked about their intake of healthy food, whether they were experiencing anxiety and depression, and whether they exercised.

The results?

Coaching made lasting, positive changes in the cancer survivors’ lives. “Instead of being stuck, they have a partner to start moving ahead to be their best,” said Schmid. “As one survivor told me, ‘This is not like anything I’ve experienced. It’s given me a pathway out … I need to move forward to do the things I know I need to do to be my best’.”

The study’s results are limited–there was no control group–and the sample size was small. But the researchers are encouraged. “Positive trends were noted in all variables measured in this study,” they wrote. “As the clinical field of (wellness coaching) emerges, rigorous research is needed to optimize the intervention and evaluate its multidisciplinary impact. The merging of the two new fields of (wellness coaching) and survivorship may improve the quality of life and survival for many individuals whose lives have been impacted by cancer.”

Read the paper on wellness coaching for cancer survivors