A Family-Centered Intervention When a Parent is Cared for in Specialized Homecare

NCT03119545 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2017/7-31/1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 33
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The overall purpose of this project is to evaluate a family-centered intervention (the Family Talk Intervention, by W. Beardslee) in families where a parent of children aged 6-19 years is seriously ill and cared for in specialized homecare. The aims of the intervention are to increase family communication, the families' awareness of the impending death and their knowledge about the cancer illness, and thereby reduce the family members' long-term psychological distress.

Conditions

Palliative Care

Keywords

intervention; support program; family centered; parental death

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Self-reported family communication, change over time

  Will be measured using study specific questionnaires (6-7 years 26 items; 8-12 years 28 items; 13-19 years 52 items; patient 45 items; parent/other significant adult 54 items).

  Baseline (start of intervention), follow up 1 (after two months), follow up 2 (after one year).

• Self-reported family communication

  Will be measured by interviews

  After five weeks from the start of the intervention

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Self -reported knowledge about the illness, change over time

  Baseline (start of intervention), follow up 1 (after two months), follow up 2 (after one year).

• Self -reported knowledge about the illness

  After five weeks from the start of the intervention

• Self-reported psychological distress, change over time

  Baseline (start of intervention), follow up 1 (after two months), follow up 2 (after one year).

Study Arms (2)

Beardslee family centered intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

This Group will have the family centered program.

Behavioral: Beardslee family centered intervention

Comparison group

NO INTERVENTION

This Group will have standard care

Interventions

Beardslee family centered intervention BEHAVIORAL

The method entails six meetings. The time for the meeting is 1-2 hours and is usually held once per week. Meetings 1 and 2) include only the parents and focus firstly on the ill parent's history and secondly on the well parent/relative. Meeting 3) includes interviews with each child aged 6-19 years, without the parents being present, concerning the child´s understanding of the disease, potential worries and questions. During the interview the child can formulate his or her own questions for the family meeting. Meeting 4) includes the parents and focuses on the planning of the family meeting. The child's thoughts and questions serve as a guide for the upcoming family meeting. Meeting 5) is the family meeting. Meeting 6) is a follow-up with all of the family members.

Also known as: the family talk intervention

Beardslee family centered intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• At least one Child in the family 6-19 years
• Speaking and understanding Swedish
• One parent with severe illness or dying

You may not qualify if:

• If the family is in need of interpreter

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ersta Sköndal University College: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College

Stockholm, SE- 10061, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Weber Falk M, Eklund R, Kreicbergs U, Alvariza A, Lovgren M. Breaking the silence about illness and death: Potential effects of a pilot study of the family talk intervention when a parent with dependent children receives specialized palliative home care. Palliat Support Care. 2022 Aug;20(4):512-518. doi: 10.1017/S1478951521001322.

  PMID: 35876452 DERIVED

• Eklund R, Alvariza A, Kreicbergs U, Jalmsell L, Lovgren M. The family talk intervention for families when a parent is cared for in palliative care - potential effects from minor children's perspectives. BMC Palliat Care. 2020 Apr 16;19(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s12904-020-00551-y.

  PMID: 32299420 DERIVED

• Eklund R, Kreicbergs U, Alvariza A, Lovgren M. The family talk intervention in palliative care: a study protocol. BMC Palliat Care. 2018 Feb 23;17(1):35. doi: 10.1186/s12904-018-0290-8.

  PMID: 29471826 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Parental Death

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Death; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Malin Lövgren, PhD

  Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 3, 2017
• First Posted: April 18, 2017
• Study Start: March 1, 2017
• Primary Completion: September 1, 2018
• Study Completion: June 24, 2019
• Last Updated: June 25, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SE (1)