Enhancing Coping Skills in Patients With Cancer

NCT01359072 | Terminated

• 1 other identifier: 10-327-PSY
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

• Approximately 30% of all patients with cancer report levels of psychological distress indicative of the need for psychological intervention.
• Research suggests that learning more adaptive coping strategies improves psychological adjustment to cancer.
• It is imperative to develop cost-efficient, feasible psychosocial interventions.
• The aim is to test the efficacy of the self administered format of a psycho-educational intervention (NUCARE) in reducing distress and enhancing adaptive coping strategies for cancer patients. It is hypothesized that:
• patients would show significant reductions in distress (i.e., depression and anxiety) over the 6-week treatment period, and that treatment would produce superior results compared to wait-list; patients would maintain or even increase their improvement up to 3 months following treatment.
• the treatment would enhance more adaptive coping strategies.
• greater self-reported adherence to the treatment/homework would be associated with symptom improvement, more autonomous self-regulation and higher perceived competence for adhering to the coping intervention program.

Conditions

Cancer

Keywords

coping; psychological distress; self-administered intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in The Health Education Impact Questionnaire from pre to post intervention, at 6 weeks post intervention, and 3 months post intervention

  pre-intervention (week 0), post intervention (week 6), 6 weeks post intervention, 3 months post intervention

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in coping strategies & distress from pre to post intervention, at 6 weeks post intervention, and 3 months post intervention

  pre-intervention (week 0), post intervention (week 6), 6 week post intervention, 3 month post intervention

Study Arms (2)

Immediate Intervention Treatment

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Self administered coping intervention

Wait list

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Self administered coping intervention

Interventions

Self administered coping intervention OTHER

The self administered coping intervention (i.e. NUCARE workbook) aims to teach individuals how to cope with their cancer. The intervention embraces two major areas: (i) the enhancement of a sense of personal control; and (ii) the learning of emotional and instrumental coping responses. The approach emphasizes training in problem-solving, relaxation techniques, cognitive coping skills, goal setting, communication, social support and lifestyle factors. The didactic material of the Nucare program is comprised of a workbook containing 12 chapters addressing the above mentioned aspects.

Immediate Intervention Treatment; Wait list

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• + years of age,
• able to read English,
• a cancer patient presenting at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) interested in participating,
• willing to receive minimal therapist contact (by telephone) and self administered therapy,
• able to give their own consent.

You may not qualify if:

• currently receiving psychological/psychiatric treatment/counselling,
• indicate at the time of recruitment that they intend to seek psychological treatment elsewhere during the study period,
• a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder,
• substance abuse/dependence in last 6 months,
• taking psychotropic medication with altering dosages in the past 3 months.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre: lead
• Louise Granofsky-Psychosocial Oncology Program, Segal Cancer Centre, Montreal: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

McGill University Health Centre - Melanoma Clinic & Cedars CanSupport

Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1A1, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms

Study Officials

• Annett Koerner, PhD

  McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Member, Psychosocial Oncology Program

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 20, 2011
• First Posted: May 24, 2011
• Study Start: June 1, 2011
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2012
• Study Completion: August 1, 2012
• Last Updated: August 22, 2012

Record last verified: 2012-08

Locations

CA (1)