Support and Healing Intervention for Adolescents With a Parent Diagnosed With Cancer (SHINE)

Summary

e purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate SHINE (Support and Healing Intervention for Navigating Parental Cancer Experiences), a family-centered program designed to support adolescents whose parent has been diagnosed with cancer.

The study has two phases. In the first phase, parents and adolescents will participate in interviews or focus groups to help researchers understand their experiences and identify the types of support that families need. Information from these discussions will be used to refine the SHINE program.

In the second phase, families will be randomly assigned to either receive the SHINE program or continue with their usual supportive care. The SHINE program consists of approximately four sessions delivered over 8 weeks and focuses on improving communication, coping skills, resilience, and emotional well-being. Adolescents will complete questionnaires before the program begins, immediately after the 8-week intervention period, and 3 months later.

Researchers will evaluate whether SHINE is feasible to deliver, acceptable to families, and shows promise for improving psychosocial outcomes among adolescents coping with a parent's cancer diagnosis.

Conditions

• Cancer
• Psychological Distress
• Adaptation, Psychological

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

SHINE Psychosocial Intervention

The SHINE (Support and Healing Intervention for Navigating Parental Cancer Experiences) intervention is a family-centered, modular behavioral intervention designed to improve psychosocial outcomes among adolescents with a parent diagnosed with cancer. The intervention consists of approximately four sessions delivered over an 8-week period, either in person or remotely using HIPAA-compliant platforms. Intervention modules address age-appropriate cancer education, family communication, coping skills, resilience, peer support, and emotional well-being. Content is informed by qualitative input from adolescents, parents, and clinical providers and may be tailored to family needs while maintaining a standardized intervention framework.

BEHAVIORAL

Usual Supportive Care

Participants assigned to this group will receive the standard supportive care services routinely available through UT Southwestern Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. These services may include access to oncology social work, counseling, patient navigation, educational resources, and community support programs as clinically indicated. Participants will not receive the SHINE intervention during the study period but will complete the same study assessments as the intervention group.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sarah E Messiah, MPH, PhD · University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

10 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-09-01

Primary Completion

2029-12-31

Completion

2029-12-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations