Identifying and Mobilizing Personal Resources to Improve Well-Being in Cancer Participants Using the CAERES Protocol

Summary

Cancer patients often experience emotional distress, fatigue, and reduced quality of life that may not be fully addressed by medical treatment alone. Research suggests that helping patients identify and mobilize their personal strengths and resources may support their psychological well-being. However, structured psychosocial interventions focused on personal resources have not been widely tested in cancer rehabilitation settings.

The goal of this clinical trial was to test the acceptability and feasibility of a 3-week psychosocial intervention designed to help adult cancer patients identify and mobilize their personal strengths to better cope with their illness. The intervention was based on the AERES tool (Auto-Evaluation des RESsources; in english : Resources Self-Assessment), a card-sorting instrument developed at the University of Lausanne for strength-based assessment in clinical populations.

The main questions it aimed to answer were:

* Was the CAERES (Cancer Auto-Evaluation of RESources) intervention acceptable and feasible for cancer patients undergoing oncological treatment or rehabilitation?
* Did the intervention positively affect emotional well-being, self-efficacy, posttraumatic growth, cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with care?

Researchers compared an immediate-intervention group with a waitlist control group (3-week delay before receiving the same intervention) to see if the intervention produced measurable effects on the targeted outcomes.

Participants:

* Completed an in-person AERES card-sorting session (1 to 2.5 hours) to identify personal strengths across three dimensions (personal qualities, hobbies and passions, and social/environmental resources)
* Received a personalized written report identifying a targeted resource to develop
* Engaged in a 3-week home-based reinforcement program with three weekly phone calls (15 minutes each) and three personalized written feedback reports
* Completed validated questionnaires at three time points (baseline, post-intervention, follow-up)

Recruitment was conducted at three sites in Italian-speaking Switzerland: the Rehabilitation Clinic of Novaggio (EOC/Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale), the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI) in Bellinzona, and a private psycho-oncology practice in Lugano, with patient referrals supported by collaborating psycho-oncologists.

Conditions

• Self Efficacy
• Neoplasms (Cancer / Tumors)
• Cancer-related Fatigue
• Post-Traumatic Growth, Psychological
• Affect (Mental Function)
• Depression
• Anxiety

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

CAERES (Cancer Auto-Evaluation of RESources) Psychosocial Intervention

The CAERES intervention is a multi-component, individualized psychosocial program enhancing personal resource mobilization, self-efficacy, and psychological well-being in cancer patients. Hybrid format over 3 weeks, with two phases: PHASE 1 - Initial in-person AERES assessment session (1.5-2.5 hrs) using card-based tool (Bellier-Teichmann \& Pomini, 2015) to identify personal strengths and resources; followed by an initial personalized written report specifying the targeted resource to mobilize. PHASE 2 - Three-week reinforcement program: three structured weekly cycles, each consisting of an individual phone call supporting active mobilization of the targeted resource, followed by a personalized written report. Total: 8 structured contacts (1 in-person session, 3 phone calls, 4 written reports). Written reports and self-report questionnaire batteries were delivered to participants by email, postal mail, or in person, according to participant preference.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• UniDistance Suisse

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Alexandra d'Agata Botta, MSc · UniDistance Suisse

Study Design

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-10-15

Primary Completion

2022-05-31

Completion

2022-05-31

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations