Wonders & Worries: A Clinical Trial of a Psychosocial Intervention for Children Who Have a Parent With Cancer
Status: | Completed |
---|---|
Conditions: | Cancer, Cancer |
Therapuetic Areas: | Oncology |
Healthy: | No |
Age Range: | 5 - 14 |
Updated: | 10/12/2018 |
Start Date: | September 2015 |
End Date: | August 19, 2018 |
Parental cancer can cause substantial behavioral and emotional distress in both parent and
child. Parents struggle with talking with their child about their cancer and supporting the
child during treatment. Over 73% of patients with children desire information and services to
support their children yet only 9% of these families report receiving this support. The
purpose of this study is to evaluate the Wonders & Worries psychosocial intervention designed
for children ages 5-14 who have a parent diagnosed with early stage cancer.This study is a
randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) evaluating the Wonders & Worries group and
individual intervention for school age children (5 -14 years old) who have a parent with
cancer. Families will be enrolled at the time of initial parent consultation, given informed
consent, and then randomized either to the intervention group of 30 families or the
wait-listed control group of 30 families. Both groups will be given a series of standardized
validated assessment instruments including the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale
(RCMAS), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Family Communication Scale FACES IV at
baseline, post intervention, and 8 week follow up. Upon completion of the follow up measures,
families in the wait-listed control group will be enrolled into the intervention. Parent exit
interviews for both groups will be used to measure parent-reported child outcomes and program
utility.
child. Parents struggle with talking with their child about their cancer and supporting the
child during treatment. Over 73% of patients with children desire information and services to
support their children yet only 9% of these families report receiving this support. The
purpose of this study is to evaluate the Wonders & Worries psychosocial intervention designed
for children ages 5-14 who have a parent diagnosed with early stage cancer.This study is a
randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) evaluating the Wonders & Worries group and
individual intervention for school age children (5 -14 years old) who have a parent with
cancer. Families will be enrolled at the time of initial parent consultation, given informed
consent, and then randomized either to the intervention group of 30 families or the
wait-listed control group of 30 families. Both groups will be given a series of standardized
validated assessment instruments including the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale
(RCMAS), the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Family Communication Scale FACES IV at
baseline, post intervention, and 8 week follow up. Upon completion of the follow up measures,
families in the wait-listed control group will be enrolled into the intervention. Parent exit
interviews for both groups will be used to measure parent-reported child outcomes and program
utility.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Wonders & Worries psychosocial intervention
designed for children ages 5-14 who have a parent diagnosed with early stage cancer. The
Wonders & Worries program curriculum is a psychosocial intervention that was designed to
address the communication and distress issues raised in prior descriptive research and to
respond to the limitations of current research. The goals of the program are to improve
children's behavioral-emotional adjustment to their parent's cancer, improve parenting
behavior (parenting quality, skills and self-efficacy), and increase family communication
about the illness. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Wonders &
Worries program on child and parent outcomes within a randomized clinical trial.
Wonders & Worries is an Austin based non-profit agency. Wonders & Worries works with families
in all stages of survivorship, who are affected by any serious or chronic physical illness.
The fully scripted intervention involves 6 group or individual sessions for the children,
each of which is briefly summarized, in Table 1. Families will be enrolled at the time of
initial parent consultation at Wonders & Worries, given informed consent, and then randomized
either to the intervention group of 30 families or the wait-listed control group of 30
families. Both groups will be given a series of standardized validated assessment instruments
including the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), the Child Behavior Checklist
(CBCL), the Family Communication Scale FACES IV, and the AMMI-EC3- About My Mommy's Illness
at baseline, post intervention, and 8 week follow up. Upon completion of the follow up
measures, families in the wait-listed control group will be enrolled into the intervention.
Parent exit interviews for both groups will be used to measure parent-reported child outcomes
and program utility.
The intervention will be provided by Wonders & Worries certified child life specialists.
Child life specialists are professionals trained to help children and their families
understand and manage challenging life events and stressful health care experiences. By using
play, recreation, education, self-expression and theories of child development, these
specialists help promote the psychological well-being and optimum development of children and
families faced with stressful situations. At Wonders & Worries all services are provided by
master's prepared certified child life specialists.
designed for children ages 5-14 who have a parent diagnosed with early stage cancer. The
Wonders & Worries program curriculum is a psychosocial intervention that was designed to
address the communication and distress issues raised in prior descriptive research and to
respond to the limitations of current research. The goals of the program are to improve
children's behavioral-emotional adjustment to their parent's cancer, improve parenting
behavior (parenting quality, skills and self-efficacy), and increase family communication
about the illness. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Wonders &
Worries program on child and parent outcomes within a randomized clinical trial.
Wonders & Worries is an Austin based non-profit agency. Wonders & Worries works with families
in all stages of survivorship, who are affected by any serious or chronic physical illness.
The fully scripted intervention involves 6 group or individual sessions for the children,
each of which is briefly summarized, in Table 1. Families will be enrolled at the time of
initial parent consultation at Wonders & Worries, given informed consent, and then randomized
either to the intervention group of 30 families or the wait-listed control group of 30
families. Both groups will be given a series of standardized validated assessment instruments
including the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), the Child Behavior Checklist
(CBCL), the Family Communication Scale FACES IV, and the AMMI-EC3- About My Mommy's Illness
at baseline, post intervention, and 8 week follow up. Upon completion of the follow up
measures, families in the wait-listed control group will be enrolled into the intervention.
Parent exit interviews for both groups will be used to measure parent-reported child outcomes
and program utility.
The intervention will be provided by Wonders & Worries certified child life specialists.
Child life specialists are professionals trained to help children and their families
understand and manage challenging life events and stressful health care experiences. By using
play, recreation, education, self-expression and theories of child development, these
specialists help promote the psychological well-being and optimum development of children and
families faced with stressful situations. At Wonders & Worries all services are provided by
master's prepared certified child life specialists.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Families with children ages 5-14 at time of study. Children have a parent with early
stage cancer, and are English-speaking.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Children are not living in the home with the ill parent at least 50% of the time.
Non-English speaking families.
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