Enhancing Coping and Communication in Children With Cancer and Their Parents

Not Applicable

Terminated

• Conditions: Pediatric Cancer
• Interventions: Behavioral: Online Program to Support Coping and Communication in Families

• Registration Number: NCT05051800
• Lead Sponsor: Vanderbilt University

Brief Summary

Childhood cancer patients and their parents are faced with significant stress at the time of diagnosis, during treatment, and over the course of recovery. The stress of cancer and its treatment can lead to significant emotional distress for many families. However, most families do not have access to programs that offer support for coping with cancer-related stress. The proposed work will address this gap by testing of the possible benefits of a novel internet delivered program to support children with cancer and their parents in coping with and communicating about a child's cancer. The research team includes experts from Vanderbilt University and Nationwide Children's Hospital with experience in pediatric oncology; stress, coping, and family communication in pediatric cancer; internet interventions in pediatric populations; and family-focused interventions to build coping and parenting skills. The study will test the effects of this program in 150 families of children with newly diagnosed cancer on reducing emotional distress up to 12 months after participation in the program. This project has the potential to lead to an evidence-based program to improve quality of life and resilience in children with cancer and their parents that can be easily and widely disseminated.

Detailed Description

Childhood cancer patients and their parents are faced with significant stress at the time of diagnosis, during treatment, and over the course of recovery. The stress of cancer and its treatment can lead to significant emotional distress for many families. However, most families do not have access to programs that offer support for coping with cancer-related stress. The proposed work will address this gap by testing of the possible benefits of a novel internet delivered program to support children with cancer and their parents in coping with and communicating about a child's cancer. This online program includes modules to teach parenting, communication and coping skills to parents of children with cancer, and coping skills to their children who have been recently diagnosed with cancer. The research team includes experts from Vanderbilt University and Nationwide Children's Hospital with experience in pediatric oncology; stress, coping, and family communication in pediatric cancer; internet interventions in pediatric populations; and family-focused interventions to build coping and parenting skills. The study will test the effects of this program in 150 families of children with newly diagnosed cancer on reducing emotional distress up to 12 months after participation in the program. This project has the potential to lead to an evidence-based program to improve quality of life and resilience in children with cancer and their parents that can be easily and widely disseminated.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-02-01
• Study First Submitted: 2019-06-18
• Primary Completion: 2021-06-30
• Study Completion: 2021-06-30
• Status Verified: 2021-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-09-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-09-09
• Study First Posted: 2021-09-21
• Last Update Posted: 2021-09-21

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: TERMINATED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 100

Inclusion Criteria

• Child from ages 10 to 17 years old who has been diagnosed with cancer

Exclusion Criteria

• Significant intellectual disability that would interfere with completing the online program

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Early Intervention	Online Program to Support Coping and Communication in Families	Families will receive the online program to support coping and communication near the time of a child's cancer diagnosis
Delayed Intervention	Online Program to Support Coping and Communication in Families	Families will receive the online program to support coping and communication approximately 6 months after a child's cancer diagnosis

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Total Behavior Problems on the Child Behavior Checklist from baseline to 6 months	The Child Behavior Checklist will be completed near the time of entry into the study and repeated at 6 month follow ups	Change in parents' report on the Child Behavior Checklist (a measure of their children's total emotional and behavioral problems).
Change in Total Behavior Problems on the Youth Self Report from baseline to 6 months	This measure will be completed near the time of entry into the study and repeated at 6 month follow ups	Change in children's report on the Youth Self Report (a measure of their children's total emotional and behavioral problems).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Vanderbilt University; 🇺🇸 Nashville, Tennessee, United States