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Assessing the Efficacy of a Psychosocial Intervention Program for Siblings of Children With Cancer

NCT02787330 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 184

Last updated 2017-10-27

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The psychosocial effects of childhood cancer and its demanding medical treatment can affect not only the ill child but the whole family, particularly siblings who are often overlooked given the terrible circumstances these families face. Current evidence suggests that negative long-term psychosocial effects of childhood cancer may be more severe in siblings than in the child with cancer. Addressing these effects on siblings may benefit the child with cancer and the entire family. Thus, early psychosocial preventive interventions are needed to foster psychosocial adjustment in siblings and promote better quality of life for the entire family. The immediate objective of this study is to address siblings' psychological distress by assessing feasibility and efficacy of a manualized group intervention for siblings of children with cancer (Siblings Coping Together, SibCT). A longer term objective is that the evidence-based intervention could then be exported to other centres across Canada and internationally. Additionally, the study results will identify biomedical, personal, familial and social determinants of intervention outcomes that can guide clinical effort for those at greatest risk. Finally, the overall aim of the project is to reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life for siblings and families impacted by a cancer diagnosis and its demanding treatment.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Control Group

Sessions will not be designed around a specific theme related to childhood cancer and sibling relationships. Activities and games will not have a specific focus. CG sessions will be conducted by facilitators who will receive the standard training for volunteers and will work under the supervision of one of the investigators at each site.

BEHAVIORAL

Experimental Group

The experimental group will be detailed, session by session, in the manual written for this purpose. It addresses on topic per session (respecting each other, medical information about cancer, family relationships, sibling's fears and feelings, relationship between siblings, relationships at school, generating hope.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • The Hospital for Sick Children

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Maru Barrera, PhD · The Hospital for Sick Children

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
8 Years
Max Age
16 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-01-31
Primary Completion
2015-12-31
Completion
2016-12-31

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT02787330 on ClinicalTrials.gov