This research study is evaluating the impact of a psychological intervention on the quality of life and mood of caregivers of patients undergoing stem cell transplant.
The purpose of this study is to find out whether a psychological intervention can make the experience of being a caregiver more manageable by improving the participant's quality of life, mood, and caregiving burden during the participant's loved one's transplant process. The psychological intervention will entail six visits with a trained clinician and will take place during the first three months of the participant's loved ones' transplant process. A trained behavioral psychologist or social worker will meet with the participant or talk with the participant over the telephone or video conference for 45 minutes at a time to discuss the participant's caregiver experience and to help the participant develop effective skills to support the participant's loved one as well as participant over the course of the transplant. The study will use a series of questionnaires to measure the participant's quality of life, mood, and overall caregiving burden. Study questionnaires will be completed in the hospital or clinic. The participant will also have the option of completing these questionnaires remotely through a secure web link, over the telephone, or in a mailed paper copy.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Promote effective coping and reduce caregiving burden.
Standard cared administered by the hospital.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Feasibility of the Intervention (Feasibility Description Below)
Feasibility defined if eligible caregivers randomized to intervention attend at least 50% of the intervention visits
Time frame: 15 months
Compare Caregiver Quality of Life (QOL) as Measured by the Caregiver Oncology QOL (CarGOQOL) Questionnaire Between the Study Arms
we will compare caregiver QOL as measured by CarGOQOL between study groups. The CARGOQOL ranges from 0-100 with higher scores indicating better QOL
Time frame: day 60
Compare Caregiving Burden (CRA) Between the Study Arms
we will compare caregiver caregiving burden as measured by Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA). The CRA ranges from 24-120 with higher scores indicating greater caregiving burden
Time frame: day 60
Compare Caregiver Anxiety Using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Between the Study Arms
We will compare caregiver anxiety use the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) between the two groups. The HADS includes two subscales: depression (range 0 (no distress) to 21 (maximum distress) and anxiety (range 0 (no distress) and 21 (maximum distress)). Higher scores on HADS-Anxiety subscale indicate worse anxiety symptoms.
Time frame: day 60
Compare Caregiver Self-efficacy Using the Cancer Self-Efficacy Scale-Transplant (CASE-t) Between the Study Arms
We will compare caregiver self-efficacy using the Cancer Self-Efficacy Scale-transplant (CASE-t) between study groups. The scale ranges from 0 to 170 with higher scores indicate higher self efficacy.
Time frame: day 60
Compare Perceived Coping Skills (MOCS) Between the Study Arms
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Compare caregiver coping skills using the Measure of Current Status (MOCS) between the study arms. Score ranges from 0-52, with higher scores indicating higher coping skills
Time frame: day 60