Psychological Intervention for Caregivers of Patients With Malignant Gliomas

Caregivers of loved ones with malignant gliomas frequently experience a physical and
psychological burden caring for their loved ones. The purpose of this study is to find out
whether a psychological intervention can help caregivers learn effective coping methods
during their loved one's treatment and make the experience of being a caregiver more
manageable.

The psychological intervention will take place in a series of six sessions. A trained social
worker or psychologist will meet with the participant or talk with the participant over the
telephone or by video conference for 45 minutes at a time to discuss the caregiver experience
while developing effective skills to support the loved one as well as the participant over
the course of the loved one's illness.

Upon the completion of the sessions, the investigators will have a short (30-minute) exit
interview to obtain the participant's feedback on the intervention. The investigators will
use the feedback to improve the intervention before further testing its effectiveness in
future research studies. The investigators will also ask the participant to complete
questionnaires before and after their participation in the intervention to help the
investigators understand the participant's coping skills, caregiving burden, mood, and
understanding about the loved one's illness.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Age ≥ 18

- Identified by a patient with a malignant glioma (WHO Grade III or IV glioma) as the
patient's primary caregiver

- The patient is receiving care at the MGH Cancer Center

- The patient was diagnosed with a malignant glioma within the past 6 months

- Able to speak and read in English

- Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) score ≥5

- Participants may or may not be pregnant.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Deemed inappropriate for the study by the patient's clinician or the study PI