The Cancer Distress Coach (CDC) mobile app is a symptom management tool for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in cancer patients and caregivers. Based largely on "PTSD Coach" from the National Center for PTSD, the CDC app was redesigned for both iOS and Android platforms and is tailored specifically to individuals impacted by cancer. This study aims to evaluate whether CDC app usage influences symptoms of PTSD through a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where subjects are placed into either the intervention group or the wait-listed control group for a period of 8 weeks. The CDC app is available as a free download on the App Store® and on Google Play™.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
569
Cancer Distress Coach is a stand-alone symptom management tool with three basic components. The Learn about Distress module provides psycho-education. The Insights module includes an inspiring Quote of the Day, daily activity planning tips, a graph displaying the user's distress level plotted over time, and assessment feedback. The main action of the application is in the Activities module that provides patients with skills to manage their stress in the moment they experience it. Depending on the severity, the patient is routed to any of a number of helpful skills based on cognitive-behavioral principles. The stress management tools include positive imageries, soothing songs and pictures, and the Relax-Identify-Decide tool. Also included is "find support" and "get support now" to connect the user to his/her support network and locate informal cancer and non-cancer related support or (immediate) professional care.
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Change in PTSD symptoms as measured by the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5)
The PCL-5 is a 20-item self-report symptom checklist that closely mirrors DSM-5 diagnoses criteria. The instructions will be modified so that symptoms are keyed to the particular traumatic stressor of interest; specifically, subjects will be asked to rate each PTSD symptom in the past 4 weeks with respect to their cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Change in distress level as measured by the Distress Thermometer
The Distress Thermometer is used to assess psychosocial distress. It consists of a one-item self-report scale from 0-10, where 0 represents no distress and 10 represents extreme distress.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Change in stress management self-efficacy as measured by the Self-efficacy questionnaire
The Self-efficacy questionnaire is a 1-item measure of self-efficacy developed by the National Center for PTSD. It rates one's ability to manage the stress of situations reminiscent of the cancer experience on a scale of 0-4, where 0 is not at all able and 4 is extremely able.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
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