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Problem-Solving Therapy for Cancer Caregivers in Outpatient Palliative Care

NCT04867122 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 532

Last updated 2026-05-08

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study is a randomized clinical trial of a problem-solving therapy intervention for family caregivers of individuals with cancer receiving outpatient palliative care.

Conditions

  • Depression, Anxiety
  • Palliative Care
  • Caregivers
  • Cancer

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Problem-Solving Therapy

Over an approximately 3-week period, family caregivers randomized to the intervention study arm will learn and apply a problem-solving approach based on the ADAPT model, which encourages participants to follow five steps when solving caregiving problems: 1) focus on adopting a positive attitude to problem solving, 2) define the problem and set goals, 3) generate a list of alternative solutions to the problem, 4) predict consequences of the alternative solutions, and 5) try implementing the most promising solution from among the list of alternatives. The intervention will be delivered by a trained interventionist over the course of three structured sessions via telephone or videoconferencing technology, depending on the FCG's preference. Session content will be summarized in an intervention manual, which we will provide to all intervention participants. Sessions will last approximately 45-60 minutes.

OTHER

Attention-matched Control

Over an approximately 3-week period, family caregivers randomized to the attention control study arm will participate in informal conversations ("friendly visits") with a trained member of the research team.

OTHER

In-depth interviews

The 30 key stakeholders interviews will discuss how the PST intervention fits into existing clinical practice and institutional values, what might incentivize adoption of the PST intervention, and how the intervention compares to alternative existing or proposed programs.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Pennsylvania

    collaborator OTHER

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

    collaborator NIH

  • University of Missouri-Columbia

    collaborator OTHER

  • Washington University School of Medicine

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Karla Washington, Ph.D. · Washington University School of Medicine

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2022-01-24
Primary Completion
2025-12-01
Completion
2025-12-01

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases
Companies

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 NCT04867122 on ClinicalTrials.gov