SIBS-Intervention for Siblings and Parents of Children With Chronic Illness

NCT04056884 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 2018/2461
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 288
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

SIBS-RCT is a randomized controlled trial comparing the effect of a 5-session group intervention for siblings and parents of children with chronic illness to 12-week waitlist. Participants randomized to waitlist will receive the intervention after waitlist. The main outcome is sibling mental health, and secondary outcomes include family communication, sibling disorder knowledge, quality of life, and adaption. Outcomes will be examined at pre-, post, 3-, 6- and 12- month follow-up.

Conditions

Siblings of Children With Chronic Illness

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ)

  Sibling mental health, reported by siblings, parents, and main teacher

  Pre to 12-months follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Parent Child Communication Scale (PCCS)

  Pre to 12-months follow-up

• KINDL Fragebogen (KINDL)

  Pre to 12-months follow-up

• Sibling Knowledge Interview (SKI)

  Pre to 12-months follow-up

• Negative Adjustment Scale (NAS)

  Pre to 12-months follow-up

Study Arms (2)

SIBS intervention

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

SIBS intervention is a 5-session group intervention for siblings and parents of children with chronic illness. Sessions 1-3 are delivered in one day, and sessions 4-5 are delivered in one day one week later.

Behavioral: SIBS intervention

Waitlist

NO INTERVENTION

Waitlist is 12 week of no intervention/usual care

Interventions

SIBS intervention BEHAVIORAL

SIBS is a manual-based group intervention for siblings and parents of children with chronic illness

SIBS intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Being the sibling of a child diagnosed with chronic illness who is aged 0 to 18 years and receives specialist and/or municipal health services.
• One parent able to attend the intervention.

You may not qualify if:

• Being enrolled as primary patients in specialist health services;
• Chronic illness diagnosis.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Oslo: lead
• Sykehuset Innlandet HF: collaborator
• Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Oslo

Oslo, Norge, 0317, Norway

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Schumann A, Vatne TM, Dalton L, Rapa E, Fjermestad KW. "It's like a car that doesn't like gasoline" - a qualitative study of siblings' understanding of anorexia nervosa in childhood: perspectives from siblings and parents. J Eat Disord. 2025 Oct 21;13(1):231. doi: 10.1186/s40337-025-01263-5.

  PMID: 41121407 DERIVED

• Kirchhofer SM, Fredriksen T, Orm S, Botta M, Zahl E, Cogo-Moreira H, Prentice CM, Vatne TM, Haukeland YB, Silverman WK, Fjermestad KW. Effectiveness of a group intervention to improve mental health in siblings of children with chronic disorders: a cluster randomized controlled trial. J Pediatr Psychol. 2025 Jun 1;50(6):443-453. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf021.

  PMID: 40146207 DERIVED

• Fjermestad KW, Silverman WK, Vatne TM. Group intervention for siblings and parents of children with chronic disorders (SIBS-RCT): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2020 Oct 14;21(1):851. doi: 10.1186/s13063-020-04781-6.

  PMID: 33054825 DERIVED

Related Links

• Project website

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: N/A, not possible
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: Participants are randomized to intervention or 12-week waitlist. All participants who are randomized to waitlist will receive the intervention after waitlist.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 12, 2019
• First Posted: August 14, 2019
• Study Start: September 1, 2019
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2023
• Study Completion: September 30, 2024
• Last Updated: September 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

NO (1)