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Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Colitis ulcerosa (CU) und Reizdarmsyndrom (RDS) gehen mit hoher somatischer Symptombelastung, reduzierter Lebensqualität und psychischen Beschwerden einher. Die subjektive Belastung, der Wunsch vieler Betroffener und die Beteiligung psychischer Prozesse an der Wahrnehmung der Symptomatik begründen die Entwicklung psychosozialer Unterstützungsangebote. Ziel dieser Machbarkeitsstudie war es, Bedarf, inhaltlichen Fokus und Machbarkeit eines solchen Angebots zu evaluieren. Betroffene mit CU und RDS wurden parallel eingeschlossen, um krankheitsspezifische und krankheitsübergreifende Aspekte für psychosoziale Interventionen zu identifizieren. Methodik Erwachsene Menschen mit CU oder RDS wurden telefonisch mithilfe eines standardisierten Interviewleitfadens befragt. Mittels numerischer Analogskalen sowie offener Fragen wurden Belastungen durch und Umgang mit der Erkrankung, krankheitsbezogene Erwartungen und Krankheitsangst, Zufriedenheit mit der Versorgung, Unterstützungs- und Informationsbedarf sowie Präferenzen hinsichtlich eines Unterstützungsprogramms erfragt. Deskriptive Kennzahlen zu quantitativen Variablen und diagnosespezifische Gruppenvergleiche wurden berechnet. Die Antworten zu den offenen Fragen wurden nah an den Aussagen der Teilnehmenden zusammengefasst und ausgezählt. Ergebnisse n=35 Personen (CU: n=15; RDS: n=20) nahmen teil (Alter: m=40,8, SD=14,6; 71% weibl.). Betroffene beider Erkrankungen zeigten ein mittleres Belastungsniveau, wobei jenes von Personen mit RDS signifikant höher war. Beide Gruppen berichteten über relevante krankheitsbezogene Ängste, wobei die Einschränkung durch diese bei RDS-Betroffenen höher war. Krankheitsbezogene Erwartungen unterschieden sich nicht zwischen den Gruppen. Patient:innen mit RDS zeigten eine geringe Zufriedenheit mit der Versorgung und fühlten sich schlechter über ihre Erkrankung informiert als Betroffene von CU. Beide Gruppen gaben eine hohe Wahrscheinlichkeit an, an einem psychologischen Unterstützungsprogramm teilzunehmen und benannten krankheitsbezogene Erwartungen und Krankheitsangst als wichtige Bestandteile eines solchen. Diskussion Die Ergebnisse bestätigen den erhöhten Bedarf und das Interesse an psychosozialer Unterstützung sowie die Relevanz krankheitsbezogener Erwartungen und Krankheitsangst bei beiden Erkrankungen. Unterschiede in Symptomwahrnehmung und Bewertung der Versorgung weisen auf die Notwendigkeit krankheitsspezifischer Elemente in psychosozialen Unterstützungsangeboten hin. Schlussfolgerung Die Ergebnisse zeigen den hohen Bedarf an psychosozialer Unterstützung von Menschen mit CU und RDS und liefern Hinweise auf die Machbarkeit eines psychosozialen Therapieprogramms.

ZusammenfassungErwartungseffekte bei Antidepressiva wurden in zahlreichen randomisierten Studien und Metaanalysen nachgewiesen. In den Placebogruppen zeigten sich sowohl relevante Verbesserungen der depressiven Erkrankungen (Ansprechraten: Placebo 40 % vs. Verum 50 %) als auch belastende Nebenwirkungen im Sinne von Noceboeffekten. Diese Befunde unterstreichen den Einfluss individueller Erwartungshaltungen auf die Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit von Antidepressiva und legen nahe, dass diese auch beim Absetzen relevant sind. Das Absetzen von Antidepressiva kann mit belastenden Beschwerden wie Schwindel, Schlaflosigkeit und Reizbarkeit verbunden sein. Diese sog. Absetzsymptome sind in der Mehrzahl der Fälle mild und klingen nach wenigen Tagen bis Wochen wieder ab. Sind Patient:innen allerdings nicht auf solche möglichen Beschwerden vorbereitet, kann deren Auftreten Ängste vor einem Rückfall oder einer Abhängigkeit auslösen. Insbesondere, wenn das Absetzen ohne ärztliche und psychologische Begleitung stattfindet, können Absetzsymptome leicht mit dem Wiederauftreten einer Depression verwechselt werden. In der aktuellen Versorgungspraxis finden sich zunehmend Berichte zu missglückten Absetzversuchen und entsprechend negativen Erwartungen an das Absetzen. Erwartungen lassen sich vornehmlich in der Interaktion mit Behandelnden und über die Patient:innen-Information verändern. Dieser Beitrag diskutiert therapeutische Strategien zum Umgang mit Absetzsymptomen mit dem Ziel, Erwartungen, angepasst an individuelle Vorerfahrungen, zu optimieren. Um realistische Erwartungen zu erarbeiten und den Absetzprozess durch eine therapeutische Begleitung positiv zu beeinflussen, können Strategien wie Psychoedukation, Framing, die Aufklärung über Placebo- und Noceboeffekte sowie die Erarbeitung von Coping-Strategien eingesetzt werden.

IntroductionOverall, 20%–30% of women with endometriosis report endometriosis-related disability after successful laparoscopy. This indicates a potential impact of psychological factors, such as expectations, on treatment outcomes. It is already known that expectations determine treatment outcomes in various health conditions, such as cardiologic or gynaecology. Therefore, we investigate the impact of expectations and other psychological factors on patients’ course of treatment outcomes after laparoscopy.Methods and analysisA longitudinal mixed-methods study with N=300 women treated at a specialised centre of surgical endoscopy and endometriosis will be conducted with one preoperative and eight postoperative assessments of endometriosis-related disability and a priori specified predictors such as expectations.Additionally, two subsamples (each ~n=30) will be either interviewed about their endometriosis-related disability, expectations, and experiences of laparoscopy before and after surgery or asked once per day for 30 consecutive days using ambulatory assessments. Quantitative data will be analysed using multilevel modelling for longitudinal data. Structural content analysis will be used for qualitative data.DiscussionTo optimise treatment for women with endometriosis, it is essential to understand how treatment expectations and other psychological and medical factors influence treatment outcomes after laparoscopy.Ethics and disseminationThe Ethics Committee of the Psychotherapeutenkammer Hamburg, Germany, gave ethical approval (ROXWELL-2021-HH, 25 June 2021).Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05019612).

The project to be preregistered is part of the cooperative research unit “Mechanisms of change in dynamic social interactions” of the University of Hamburg (Institute of Psychology, Department of Informatics, UKE), Medical School Hamburg (Department of Psychology), and the Helmut-Schmidt-University/University of the Federal Armed Forces, Hamburg (Department of Clinical Psychology). This interdisciplinary research unit is funded by the Hamburg Senate (LFF-FV 79-2019) and consists of different working groups in the fields of psychology and informatics in Hamburg. Within the framework of the research collaboration, video recordings of social situations will be analyzed in the associated subprojects and new (automated) recording methods of dynamic social contexts will be jointly developed. The primary goal of the cooperative research unit is to incorporate Lewin's premise of person-environment interaction in five closely linked and coordinated subprojects. The aim is to advance knowledge of person-environment interaction by accounting for temporal changes (infancy, adolescence, adults) and clinical situations. Current techniques in computer science will be incorporated as a promising approach to measure the complexities of conduct and change processes in dynamic social environments. To investigate such dynamic social interaction mechanisms, the cooperative research unit will address specific but interlinked psychological sub-questions with the to be preregistered project focusing on dynamics of social interaction in psychotherapy. A central element of psychotherapy is the dyadic social interaction between therapist and patient. The intermittent coupling of the nonverbal behavioral patterns of both interaction partners is referred to as nonverbal or motion synchrony (Koole & Tschacher, 2016). Significant correlations between motion synchrony and relevant psychotherapeutic process and outcome measures, such as therapeutic relationship (Koole & Tschacher, 2016; Ramseyer & Tschacher, 2011) and the probability of patient-side discontinuation (Paulick et al., 2018), have already been demonstrated in previous studies. The aim of the present research project is to examine possible influences of the nonverbal aspects of social interaction on the therapeutic relationship, therapy motivation, and treatment expectation using different types of interaction partners in virtual information sessions about psychotherapy. Two different types of interaction partners will be examined: a human therapist interaction partner represented by a study psychologist and an avatar therapist, which is implemented by a zoom filter controlled by a study psychologist but with limited social interaction cues regarding gesticulation or Duchenne smiling. The information sessions are manualized, conducted by trained psychologists (bachelor level) and conducted with the aid of structured information cards. Content, duration and level of patient involvement in the information sessions are kept constant to the highest possible degree. Outcomes are the subjectively experienced (self-report) and objectively-measured (motion synchrony) indicators of the therapeutic relationship in relation to their interaction partner condition as well as the motivation for therapy and therapy-related expectation in relation to pre- and post-assessment. Findings of the present research project will provide important insights into the social mechanisms for modulating therapeutic relationship, motivation, and expectation. A total of 150 people from the German population (general population) who are interested in psychotherapy, are at least 18 years old, and are currently not undergoing psychotherapeutic treatment, will be included in the study. Subjects will be primarily recruited via social networks and cooperating research projects. For quantitative data analyses, a mixed multivariate analysis of variance (repeated-measures MANOVA) with a within-subject factor “time” (measurement points: pre- vs. post-assessment) and a between-subject factor “group” (type of interaction partner: human therapist vs. avatar therapist condition) will be conducted. Further statistical analyses will be additionally applied for group comparisons at single measurement points (e.g., independent-samples t-Test). It is hypothesized that subjects in the human therapist condition compared to those in the avatar therapist condition a) achieve higher values on both subjectively experienced and objectively-measured indicators of “therapeutic relationship” and b) achieve a higher increase in “therapy-related motivation” and “therapy-related expectation” between the measurement points and after the virtual information session about psychotherapy (intervention). Appropriate measures of effect size will be additionally reported.

This study aimed to assess clinicians' attitudes and their current clinical practices regarding informed consent for psychotherapy.A convenience sample of N = 530 clinicians in Germany (n = 418 licensed psychotherapists and n = 112 postgraduate psychotherapy trainees) took part in an online survey.Most clinicians (84%) reported obtaining informed consent for psychotherapy in their daily routine. However, many psychotherapists felt unsure about satisfactorily fulfilling the legal (63%) and ethical obligations (52%). The two most frequently reported components of information disclosure related to explaining the terms and conditions of psychotherapy (96%) and the psychotherapeutic approach (91%). Providing information about mechanisms of psychotherapy (33%) and the role of expectations (30%) were least practiced. One in five psychotherapists reported not informing clients about potential risks and side effects. A considerable proportion reported concern about inducing anxiety in patients by disclosing information about risks and side effects (52%).Although obtaining informed consent for psychotherapy seems to be the rule rather than the exception in clinical practice, the quality of its implementation in terms of legal, ethical and clinical demands remains questionable. Training psychotherapists in providing comprehensive informed consent enables informed decision-making and might have a positive influence on treatment expectations and outcomes.

Background Adverse events of chemotherapy may be caused by pharmacodynamics or psychological factors such as negative expectations, which constitute nocebo effects. In a randomized controlled trial, we examined whether educating patients about the nocebo effect is efficacious in reducing the intensity of self-reported adverse events. Methods In this proof-of-concept study, N = 100 outpatients (mean age: 60.2 years, 65% male, 54% UICC tumour stage IV) starting first-line, de novo chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers were randomized 1:1 to a nocebo education (n = 49) or an attention control group (n = 51). Our primary outcome was patient-rated intensity of four chemotherapy-specific and three non-specific adverse events (rated on 11-point Likert scales) at 10-days and 12-weeks after the first course of chemotherapy. Secondary outcomes included perceived control of adverse events and tendency to misattribute symptoms. Results General linear models indicated that intensity of adverse events differed at 12-weeks after the first course of chemotherapy (mean difference: 4.04, 95% CI [0.72, 7.36], p = .02, d = 0.48), with lower levels in the nocebo education group. This was attributable to less non-specific adverse events (mean difference: 0.39, 95% CI [0.04, 0.73], p = .03, d = 0.44) and a trend towards less specific adverse events in the nocebo education group (mean difference: 0.36, 95% CI [− 0.02, 0.74], p = .07, d = 0.37). We found no difference in adverse events at 10-days follow-up, perceived control of adverse events, or tendency to misattribute non-specific symptoms to the chemotherapy. Conclusions This study provides first proof-of-concept evidence for the efficacy of a brief information session in preventing adverse events of chemotherapy. However, results regarding patient-reported outcomes cannot rule out response biases. Informing patients about the nocebo effect may be an innovative and clinically feasible intervention for reducing the burden of adverse events. Trial registration Retrospectively registered on March 27, 2018 to the German Clinical Trial Register (ID: DRKS00009501).

IntroductionUlcerative colitis (UC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are distressing chronic diseases associated with abdominal pain and altered bowel habits of unknown aetiology. Results from previous studies indicate that, across both diseases, increased levels of illness-related anxiety and dysfunctional symptom expectations contribute to symptom persistence. Thus, comparing both disorders with regard to common and disease-specific factors in the persistence and modification of gastrointestinal symptoms seems justified. Our primary hypothesis is that persistent gastrointestinal symptoms in UC and IBS can be improved by modifying dysfunctional symptom expectations and illness-related anxiety using expectation management strategies.Methods and analysisTo assess the extent to which persistent somatic symptoms are modifiable in adult patients with UC and IBS, we will conduct an observer-blinded, three-arm randomised controlled trial. A total of 117 patients with UC and 117 patients with IBS will be randomised into three groups of equal size: targeted expectation management aiming to reduce illness-related anxiety and dysfunctional symptom expectations in addition to standard care (SC, intervention 1), non-specific supportive treatment in addition to SC (intervention 2) or SC only (control). Both active intervention groups will comprise three individual online consultation sessions and a booster session after 3 months. The primary outcome is baseline to postinterventional change in gastrointestinal symptom severity.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hamburg Medical Association (2020-10198-BO-ff). The study will shed light onto the efficacy and mechanisms of action of a targeted expectation management intervention for persistent gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with UC and IBS. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of the complex biopsychosocial mechanisms will allow the further advancement of aetiological models and according evidence-based intervention strategies.Trial registration numberISRCTN30800023.

Background Informed consent is a legal and ethical prerequisite for psychotherapy. However, in clinical practice, consistent strategies to obtain informed consent are scarce. Inconsistencies exist regarding the overall validity of informed consent for psychotherapy as well as the disclosure of potential mechanisms and negative effects, the latter posing a moral dilemma between patient autonomy and nonmaleficence. Objective This protocol describes a randomized controlled web-based trial aiming to investigate the efficacy of a one-session optimized informed consent consultation. Methods The optimized informed consent consultation was developed to provide information on the setting, efficacy, mechanisms, and negative effects via expectation management and shared decision-making techniques. A total of 122 participants with an indication for psychotherapy will be recruited. Participants will take part in a baseline assessment, including a structured clinical interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fifth edition (DSM-5) disorders. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned either to a control group receiving an information brochure about psychotherapy as treatment as usual (n=61) or to an intervention group receiving treatment as usual and the optimized informed consent consultation (n=61). Potential treatment effects will be measured after the treatment via interview and patient self-report and at 2 weeks and 3 months follow-up via web-based questionnaires. Treatment expectation is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include the capacity to consent, decisional conflict, autonomous treatment motivation, adherence intention, and side-effect expectations. Results This trial received a positive ethics vote by the local ethics committee of the Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University-Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany on April 1, 2021, and was prospectively registered on June 17, 2021. The first participant was enrolled in the study on August 5, 2021. We expect to complete data collection in December 2022. After data analysis within the first quarter of 2023, the results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals in summer 2023. Conclusions If effective, the optimized informed consent consultation might not only constitute an innovative clinical tool to meet the ethical and legal obligations of informed consent but also strengthen the contributing factors of psychotherapy outcome, while minimizing nocebo effects and fostering shared decision-making. Trial Registration PsychArchives; http://dx.doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4929 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/39843

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are associated with high somatic symptom burden, reduced quality of life, and increased psychological distress. The subjective burden, the wish of many patients, and the involvement of psychological processes in symptom perception justify the development of psychosocial support services. We aimed to evaluate need, content and feasibility of such an offer. We included patients with both UC and RDS in order to identify disease-specific and trans-diagnostic aspects for psychosocial interventions.We conducted telephone interviews with adult patients with UC or IBS using a standardized interview guide. We used numerical rating scales and open-ended questions to assess burden of and coping with the disease, disease-related expectations and anxiety, satisfaction with care, support and information needs, and preferences regarding support programs. We calculated descriptive metrics for quantitative variables as well as diagnosis-specific group comparisons. The answers to the open questions were summarised and counted in close accordance with the participants' statements.The results confirm an increased need for psychosocial support and the relevance of disease-related expectations and anxiety for both diseases. Differences in symptom perception and care satisfaction indicate the importance of disease-specific elements in psychosocial therapy programs.The results demonstrate the high need for psychosocial support of patients with UC and IBS and indicate the feasibility of a psychosocial therapy program.Colitis ulcerosa (CU) und Reizdarmsyndrom (RDS) gehen mit hoher somatischer Symptombelastung, reduzierter Lebensqualität und psychischen Beschwerden einher. Die subjektive Belastung, der Wunsch vieler Betroffener und die Beteiligung psychischer Prozesse an der Wahrnehmung der Symptomatik begründen die Entwicklung psychosozialer Unterstützungsangebote. Ziel dieser Machbarkeitsstudie war es, Bedarf, inhaltlichen Fokus und Machbarkeit eines solchen Angebots zu evaluieren. Betroffene mit CU und RDS wurden parallel eingeschlossen, um krankheitsspezifische und krankheitsübergreifende Aspekte für psychosoziale Interventionen zu identifizieren.Erwachsene Menschen mit CU oder RDS wurden telefonisch mithilfe eines standardisierten Interviewleitfadens befragt. Mittels numerischer Analogskalen sowie offener Fragen wurden Belastungen durch und Umgang mit der Erkrankung, krankheitsbezogene Erwartungen und Krankheitsangst, Zufriedenheit mit der Versorgung, Unterstützungs- und Informationsbedarf sowie Präferenzen hinsichtlich eines Unterstützungsprogramms erfragt. Deskriptive Kennzahlen zu quantitativen Variablen und diagnosespezifische Gruppenvergleiche wurden berechnet. Die Antworten zu den offenen Fragen wurden nah an den Aussagen der Teilnehmenden zusammengefasst und ausgezählt. ERGEBNISSE:innen mit RDS zeigten eine geringe Zufriedenheit mit der Versorgung und fühlten sich schlechter über ihre Erkrankung informiert als Betroffene von CU. Beide Gruppen gaben eine hohe Wahrscheinlichkeit an, an einem psychologischen Unterstützungsprogramm teilzunehmen und benannten krankheitsbezogene Erwartungen und Krankheitsangst als wichtige Bestandteile eines solchen.Die Ergebnisse bestätigen den erhöhten Bedarf und das Interesse an psychosozialer Unterstützung sowie die Relevanz krankheitsbezogener Erwartungen und Krankheitsangst bei beiden Erkrankungen. Unterschiede in Symptomwahrnehmung und Bewertung der Versorgung weisen auf die Notwendigkeit krankheitsspezifischer Elemente in psychosozialen Unterstützungsangeboten hin.Die Ergebnisse zeigen den hohen Bedarf an psychosozialer Unterstützung von Menschen mit CU und RDS und liefern Hinweise auf die Machbarkeit eines psychosozialen Therapieprogramms.

ImportanceUptake of vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly affected by concerns about adverse effects. Research on nocebo effects suggests that these concerns can amplify symptom burden.ObjectiveTo investigate whether positive and negative expectations prior to COVID-19 vaccination are associated with systemic adverse effects.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis prospective cohort study analyzed the association of expected benefits and risks of vaccination, adverse effects at first vaccination, and observed adverse effects in close contacts with severity of systemic adverse effects among adults receiving a second dose of messenger RNA (mRNA)–based vaccines between August 16 and 28, 2021. A total of 7771 individuals receiving the second dose at a state vaccination center in Hamburg, Germany, were invited to participate; of these, 5370 did not respond, 535 provided incomplete information, and 188 were excluded retrospectively. The mobile application m-Path was used for data collection.Main Outcomes and MeasuresPrimary outcome was a composite severity index of systemic adverse effects in 12 symptom areas measured once daily with an electronic symptom diary over 7 consecutive days. Data were analyzed by mixed-effects multivariable ordered logistic regression adjusted for prevaccine symptom levels and observation times.ResultsA total of 10 447 observations from 1678 individuals receiving vaccinations (BNT162b2 [Pfizer BioNTech] in 1297 [77.3%] and mRNA-1273 [Moderna] in 381 [22.7%]) were collected. The participants’ median age was 34 (IQR, 27-44) years, and 862 (51.4%) were women. The risk for more severe adverse effects was higher for persons expecting a lower benefit of vaccination (odds ratio [OR] for higher expectations, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.63-0.83]; P P P P = .004), and if the vaccine mRNA-1273 was given rather than BNT162b2 (OR, 2.45 [95% CI, 2.01-2.99]; P Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study, several nocebo effects occurred in the first week after COVID-19 vaccination. The severity of systemic adverse effects was associated not only with vaccine-specific reactogenicity but also more negative prior experiences with adverse effects from the first COVID-19 vaccination, more negative expectations regarding vaccination, and tendency to catastrophize instead of normalize benign bodily sensations. Clinician-patient interactions and public vaccine campaigns may both benefit from these insights by optimizing and contextualizing information provided about COVID-19 vaccines.

IntroductionPersistent somatic symptoms (PSS) are highly prevalent in all areas of medicine; they are disabling for patients and costly for society. The subjective symptom burden often correlates poorly with the underlying disease severity, and patients’ needs for effective treatment are far from being met. Initial evidence indicates that, in addition to disease-specific pathophysiological processes, psychological factors such as expectations, somatosensory amplification and prior illness experiences contribute to symptom persistence in functional as well as in somatic diseases. However, prospective studies investigating the transition from acute to chronic somatic symptoms, integrating pathophysiological, psychological and social factors, are scarce. A better understanding of the multifactorial mechanisms of symptom persistence is crucial for developing targeted mechanism-based interventions for effective prevention and treatment of PSS. Thus, the overall aim of the interdisciplinary SOMACROSS research unit is to identify generic and disease-specific risk factors and aetiological mechanisms of symptom persistence across a range of diseases.Methods and analysisSeven projects will investigate risk factors and mechanisms of symptom persistence in a total of 3916 patients across 10 medical conditions. All study designs are prospective and share common assessment points, core instruments and outcome variables to allow comparison and validation of results across projects and conditions. Research will focus on the identification of generic and disease-specific mechanisms associated with unfavourable symptom course. The development of a multivariate prediction model will facilitate the understanding of the course of PSS across diseases.Ethics and disseminationAll individual SOMACROSS studies were approved by the ethics committees of the Medical Chambers Hamburg and Münster, Germany. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, scientific conferences and the involvement of relevant stakeholders, patients and the lay public. This interdisciplinary research unit will fundamentally contribute to earlier recognition of patients at risk, and to the development of prevention and tailored treatment concepts for PSS.

ObjectivesDuring serious illness, open communication with caregivers can ensure high-quality care. Without end-of-life communication, caregivers may become surrogates and decision-makers without knowing the patient’s preferences. However, expectations and fears may influence the initiation of communication. The present study investigates differences between palliative patients with cancer and caregivers regarding expectations of end-of-life communication, end-of-life fears and experiences with end-of-life communication.DesignA cross-sectional study using a semi-structured interview and a paper-based questionnaireSettingUniversity Hospital in Germany.Participants151 participants: 85 palliative cancer patients (mean age: 62.8 years, 65.9% male) and 66 caregivers (mean age: 56.3 years, 28.8% male).Primary and secondary outcome measuresExpectations, end-of-life fears and experiences of end-of-life discussions.ResultsPatients and caregivers wish for the patient to be self-determined. In general, participants reported more positive than negative expectations of end-of-life discussions. Importantly, concerns about emotionally burdening other person was rated much higher in an informal context than a professional context (F(1,149)=316 958, pp²=0.680), even though the emotional relief was expected to be higher (F(1,149)=46.115, pp²=0.236). Caregivers reported more fears about the last period of life and more fears about end-of-life discussions than palliative patients, whereas palliative patients tended to avoid the topics of death and dying to a greater extent.ConclusionsThere seems to exist a ‘self-other’ asymmetry: palliative patients and their caregivers expect substantial personal relief when openly talking about end-of-life issues, but also expect the other person to be burdened by such communication. Professionals repeatedly need to initiate end-of-life communication.