NCT06172907

Brief Summary

The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a brief psychotherapy intervention to improve psychosocial coping and maintain couple relationships among young adults (aged 25-39) with cancer and their caregiving partners.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
20

participants targeted

Target at below P25 for not_applicable cancer

Timeline
7mo left

Started Apr 2024

Typical duration for not_applicable cancer

Geographic Reach
1 country

4 active sites

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

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Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress78%
Apr 2024Dec 2026

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

December 7, 2023

Completed
8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

December 15, 2023

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

April 19, 2024

Completed
2.1 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

June 1, 2026

Expected
6 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 1, 2026

Last Updated

January 12, 2026

Status Verified

December 1, 2025

Enrollment Period

2.1 years

First QC Date

December 7, 2023

Last Update Submit

January 8, 2026

Conditions

Keywords

Young Adult CancerCancer Caregiving

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Feasibility of Intervention

    Feasibility will be measured by measured by participant rates of enrollment (≥50% of those eligible), participant retention (≥70% of those enrolled), and intervention attendance (≥70% attending at least 6 of 8 sessions).

    14 +/- 2 Weeks

  • Acceptability of Intervention

    Acceptability with be measured by satisfaction with the intervention as rated on the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire. The intervention will be deemed acceptable if ≥75% of participants report average satisfaction that exceeds the CSQ's midpoint.

    14 +/- 2 Weeks

Study Arms (1)

Young Adults Coping with Cancer Together Intervention

OTHER

Young adults with cancer and their partner-caregivers will attend dyadic virtual psychotherapy sessions lasting 45-60 minutes on a weekly basis for eight weeks.

Behavioral: Young Adults Coping with Cancer Together Intervention

Interventions

This intervention is based on cognitive-behavioral therapy and couples' therapy. It aims to improve cancer and caregiving-related self-efficacy and coping, as well as promote relationship maintenance in context of cancer. The intervention will be delivered by a trained mental health practitioner and include didactics, experiential exercises, and home practice.

Also known as: YAD Intervention
Young Adults Coping with Cancer Together Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

Age25 Years - 39 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Either: (1) Currently receiving active cancer treatment (n=5) or are within two years of completing active treatment (n=5) at Massachusetts General Cancer Center (MGHCC), located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, OR (2) are the partner of an individual between the ages of 25-39 who is currently receiving treatment at MGHCC (n=5) or who has completed cancer treatment at MGHCC within the past two years (n=5)
  • Either: (1) Indicates a score ≥4 on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) adapted distress thermometer study screening questions, OR (2) are the partner of a participant indicating a score ≥4 on the NCCN adapted distress thermometer study screening questions
  • English-speaking

You may not qualify if:

  • Uncontrolled psychosis, active suicidal ideation, or cognitive impairment

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (4)

Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States

RECRUITING

Emerson Hospital/MGH Cancer Center

Concord, Massachusetts, 01742, United States

RECRUITING

Mass General at North Shore Cancer Center

Danvers, Massachusetts, 01923, United States

RECRUITING

Mass General at Newton Wellesley Hospital

Newton, Massachusetts, 02462, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

NeoplasmsCaregiver Burden

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress, PsychologicalBehavioral SymptomsBehavior

Study Officials

  • Jamie M Jacobs, Ph.D.

    Massachusetts General Hospital

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
  • Giselle K Perez, Ph.D.

    Massachusetts General Hospital

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Jamie M Jacobs, Ph.D.

CONTACT

Zeba N Ahmad, Ph.D.

CONTACT

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE CARE
Intervention Model
SINGLE GROUP
Model Details: Single-Arm Pilot Study
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

December 7, 2023

First Posted

December 15, 2023

Study Start

April 19, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Last Updated

January 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

The Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center encourages and supports the responsible and ethical sharing of data from clinical trials. De-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript may only be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement. Requests may be directed to: jjacobs@mgh.harvard.edu. The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
Time Frame
Data can be shared no earlier than 1 year following the date of publication
Access Criteria
Contact the Partners Innovations team
More information

Locations