Cancer, Leukemia, Stem Cell Transplant
Conditions
Keywords
peer support, adolescents and young adults
Brief summary
Allogeneic Haemopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (Allo-HSCT) is a potentially curative option for patients with both malignant and non-malignant hematological disorders. There appears to be unique experiences that adolescents and young adults (AYA) face when undergoing transplant. There is literature to suggest that peer support for young adults is associated with improvements in mental health including greater happiness, self-esteem and effective coping, as well as reductions in depression, loneliness and anxiety. Our primary objective is to determine the feasibility and acceptability of an AYA peer support program for patients undergoing Allo-HSCT. Our secondary objective is to explore the impact of the AYA peer support program on sense of support/connectivity, anxiety, and depression.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPeer Support
The intervention will be a monthly online AYA peer support group (1 hour) that will run for six months via Microsoft Teams. In an effort to evaluate a patient-driven real-world intervention, the support group has been designed with the following features: 1) participants will be asked to commit for a six month period, but are able to miss sessions if necessary; and, 2) each session will be facilitated by a Nurse Practitioner and Social Worker from the Allo-HSCT program, but the topics of discussion will be determined by the AYA participants present at each session. Participants in the group will then be invited to share their thoughts and experiences about these topics, with as much information as they feel comfortable.
Sponsors
University Health Network, Toronto
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 39 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* 18-39 years of age * \>3 months post Allo-HSCT * any malignant /non-malignant indication for Allo-HSCT
Exclusion criteria
\- Non-English speaking
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention usage | at 6 months | Intervention usage (i.e. proportion of sessions attended by each participant) will be calculated based on attendance lists for each session collected by the session facilitators. Reasons for non-attendance or early drop-out from a session will be collected, but this is optional for participants. |
| Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) | at 6 months | The Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) revised to evaluated the AYA peer support program comprises 4-items regarding the respondent's perceptions of the acceptability of the intervention. Responses range from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). Scale value is computed by averaging responses and ranges from 1-5. Higher values indicate greater acceptability of the intervention. |
| Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) | at 6 months | The Intervention Appropriate Measure (IAM) revised to evaluated the AYA peer support program comprises 4-items regarding the respondent's perceptions of the appropriateness of the intervention. Responses range from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). Scale value is computed by averaging responses and ranges from 1-5. Higher values indicate greater appropriateness of the intervention. |
| Post-intervention Qualitative interviews | at 6 months | Post-intervention qualitative interviews with participants will also explore their perceptions of the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, including suggestions for improvement of the intervention. These semi-structured interviews will also help explore participant's opinions related to program length, time, usefulness, and delivery. |
| Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) | at 6 months | The Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) revised to evaluated the AYA peer support program comprises 4-items regarding the respondent's perceptions of the feasibility of the intervention. Responses range from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). Scale value is computed by averaging responses and ranges from 1-5. Higher values indicate greater feasibility of the intervention. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety | Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months | GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder screener) is a measure of anxiety. It comprises 7-items about one's bother with anxiety symptoms, rated from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Scores are calculated by summing responses to the 7 items. Possible scores range from 0-21, with higher scores indicating worse anxiety. |
| Depressive Symptoms | Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months | PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire -9) is a measure of depressive symptoms. It comprises 9-items about one's bother with depressive symptoms, rated from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Scores are calculated by summing responses to the 9 items. Possible scores range from 0-27, with higher scores indicating worse depressive symptoms. |
| Social Connectedness | Baseline, 3 months, and 6 months | The Social Connectedness Scale is a measure of one's sense of belonging or connectedness between the self and other people, including friends and society. It comprises 20-items about one's view of themselves, rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Scores are calculated by summing responses to the 20 items. Possible scores range from 20-120, with higher scores indicating better social connectedness. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed