Stress Management for Cancer Patients: How Well Does it Work? (C2H-D) (C2H-D)

Examination of a Stress Management Intervention for Cancer Patients as Delivered by Community Mental Health Professionals

Psychological interventions for cancer patients have been tested and found to reduce stress and improve quality of life. These interventions have been tested at academic medical centers but have not been available for use by community mental health professionals. One such intervention is the Biobehavioral Intervention (BBI), developed by Professor Barbara L. Andersen and colleagues at Ohio State (OSU). Current funding has enabled the investigators to train mental health professionals from across the country to deliver the BBI at their institution. Recently diagnosed cancer patients who are participating in the BBI group at these institutions may participate in a research study completing self report measures asking about psychological and behavioral outcomes (for example, mood, stress, diet and physical activity). The investigators hypothesize that individuals participating in the intervention will report improvements in outcomes, such as reduced stress and improved mood, reduced symptoms of the disease and treatment, etc., after completing the intervention and continue to report these improvements up to 6 months after the group ends. OSU will coordinate this data collection project but information about participating sites is listed in http://clinicaltrials.gov.

Individuals participating in the From Cancer to Health (C2H-D) Stress Management Psychological Intervention

From Cancer to Health gives people with cancer the information and tools they need to manage their stress to improve their health throughout the cancer journey. Each institution involved in this study will implement the core techniques of the C2H-D Intervention but may alter the format somewhat to meet their patient population needs (e.g., shorten hourly 18 week intervention into 2-hour 9 week intervention).

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in mood on the 65-item Profile of Mood States (POMS)

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in cancer-specific stress on the 20-item Impact of Events Scale (IES)

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in social support using the 20 item Perceived Social Support from Your Family Scale (PSS-Fa)

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in physical activity on the 3-item Physical Activity Rating Scale (PAR)

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in diet on the 23-item Food Habits Questionnaire (FHQ)

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in sexual health on the 4-item Your Sexual Life questionnaire

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in pain using the 13-item Brief Pain Questionnaire (BPQ)

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in fatigue using the 7-item Fatigue Severity Index (FSI)

Change from baseline to post-intensive intervention assessment in sleep using the 24-item Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

Inclusion Criteria: Recent initial diagnosis of cancer without metastatic disease Able to speak/read English Exclusion Criteria: Those with concurrent diagnoses of Organic brain syndrome Dementia Mental retardation non-English speaking Significant sensory deficit Severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, psychotic disorder)

Ashmore JA, Ditterich KW, Conley CC, Wright MR, Howland PS, Huggins KL, Cooreman J, Andrews PS, Nicholas DR, Roberts L, Hewitt L, Scales JN, Delap JK, Gray CA, Tyler LA, Collins C, Whiting CM, Brothers BM, Ryba MM, Andersen BL. Evaluating the effectiveness and implementation of evidence-based treatment: A multisite hybrid design. Am Psychol. 2019 May-Jun;74(4):459-473. doi: 10.1037/amp0000309. Epub 2018 Jul 19.