Online Intervention for Cancer Patients

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University60 enrolled

Overview

This study will focus on supporting cancer patients who often experience emotional challenges like anxiety and depression. It will test a two-week online program called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), designed to help people manage difficult emotions and focus on what matters most in their lives. The program will include short, easy-to-follow sessions covering helpful strategies like accepting distress and staying present in the moment. Participants will be randomly assigned to either join the ACT program or wait for the program while continuing their usual care. The study aims to determine whether the ACT program can reduce psychological distress, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients. The study will use a mixed-methods approach, combining both quantitative data (such as changes in distress, anxiety, and depression) and qualitative insights from participant interviews. This will help us gain a deeper understanding of how the ACT program may support the psychological distress of cancer patients.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Cancer

Interventions

The study utilized a specially tailored internet-based self-help ACT program for cancer patients. It consisted of an introductory module and six core intervention modules: (1) Refusing Avoidance; (2) Accepting Distress; (3) Living in the Present Moment; (4) Observing Yourself Psychologically; (5) Exploring Meaningful Values; and (6) Committing to Action. Each module, designed to take 30-60 minutes, was delivered over a two-week period.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * age 18 and above; * diagnosed cancer with a clear disease course * fluent in Chinese with the ability to read and understand questionnaires independently; * ability to operate a smartphone independently; * not participating in or intervening in other clinical studies. Exclusion Criteria: * younger than 18 years of age * unable to use a smartphone * have significant cognitive impairment or a serious systemic disease or psychiatric disorder * concurrently participating in other clinical studies or undergoing other psychotherapy

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Feasibility outcomes

Feasibility is evaluated using retention rate and intervention completion rate. Retention rate reflects the percentage of participants who successfully completed all study-related measurements throughout the trial.

Time frame: Post-intervention (immediately after the 2-week intervention)

Psychological Distress

Psychological distress is assessed using the Distress Thermometer (DT) (Holland et al., 2013). Scores range from 0 (no distress) to 10 (extreme distress), with higher scores reflecting greater levels of psychological distress.

Time frame: Baseline, one week post-baseline, and post-intervention (immediately after the 2-week intervention)

Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) (Zigmond \& Snaith, 1983), a 14-item questionnaire comprising separate subscales for anxiety and depression. Each item is scored on a 4-point Likert scale, and higher scores reflect greater severity of anxiety and depression symptoms.