None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Cancer is the leading cause of burden of disease and injury in Australia, accounting for nearly one-fifth of the total disease burden. The diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a major life stress that is followed by a range of well described psychological, social, physical and spiritual difficulties. Approximately 35% of patients will experience persistent clinically significant distress and carers often experience even higher distress than patients. The aim of the proposed study is to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of accessible and affordable psychological interventions for distressed cancer patients and carers who contact community based Cancer Helplines. The study comprises a randomised controlled trial with patients and carers who have elevated psychological distress, comparing minimal contact self management with an individualised tele-based cognitive behavioural intervention.
Interventions
This project is a randomised controlled trial comparing minimal contact ‘self help’ self management materials versus a tele-based psychologist delivered cognitive behavioural intervention. Group 1: The self-managed support arm will consist of an initial single 30-minute telephone support and education session with a nurse counsellor who will provide feedback to the participant about his/her levels of distress and instruction in evidence based strategies to improve adjustment. A resource package
This project is a randomised controlled trial comparing minimal contact ‘self help’ self management materials versus a tele-based psychologist delivered cognitive behavioural intervention. Group 1: The self-managed support arm will consist of an initial single 30-minute telephone support and education session with a nurse counsellor who will provide feedback to the participant about his/her levels of distress and instruction in evidence based strategies to improve adjustment. A resource package will also be provided as in kind support that will include a range of already developed audio and written patient education materials produced by The Cancer Council Queensland. The duration of the self-managed intervention for Group 1 will dictated by the participants utilisation of their resource material after the initial telephone contact by the nurse counsellor. Group 2: For the individualised cognitive behavioural intervention (therapist delivered), five one-hour sessions of tele-based counselling from a clinical psychologist will be delivered that include psycho-education, skills in stress reduction, problem-solving, cognitive challenging and enhancing relationship support. The individualised counselling sessions will include assigned behavioural homework that will be supported by work and tip sheets. It is anticipated that the 5 therapist delivered sessions for Group 2 will be conducted at regular intervals after randomisation and completed before follow-up assessment at 3 months.
Sponsors
Cancer Council Queensland
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Patients suffering from any form of cancer or carers of those suffering from any form of cancer who contact the Cancer Helpline in both Queensland and New South Wales, have a score of 4 or over on the Brief Distress Thermometer at the time of Helpline contact, be able to read and speak English, be an adult aged 18 years or over and have no previous history of head injury, dementia or psychiatric illness.
Exclusion criteria
A caller to the Cancer Helpline who is not a patient or carer, a score under 4 on the Brief Distress Thermometer at time of Helpline contact, under the age of 18 years, unable to read and speak English, a previous history of head injury, dementia or psychiatric illness
Outcome results
None listed