Effect of a group intervention for children and their parents who have cancer
OBJECTIVE: Although support programs for children whose parents have cancer have been described and evaluated, formal research has not been conducted to document outcomes. We adapted a group intervention called CLIMB(R), originally developed in the United States, and implemented it in Tokyo, Japan, for school-aged children and their parents with cancer. The purpose of this exploratory pilot study was to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of the Japanese version of the CLIMB(R) Program on children's stress and parents' quality of life and psychosocial distress. METHODS: We enrolled children and parents in six waves of replicate sets for the six-week group intervention. A total of 24 parents (23 mothers and 1 father) diagnosed with cancer and 38 school-aged children (27 girls and 11 boys) participated in our study. Intervention fidelity, including parent and child satisfaction with the program, was examined. The impact of the program was analyzed using a quasiexperimental within-subject design comparing pre- and posttest assessments of children and parents in separate analyses. RESULTS: Both children and parents experienced high levels of satisfaction with the program. Children's posttraumatic stress symptoms related to a parent's illness decreased after the intervention as measured by the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-Reaction Index. No difference was found in children's psychosocial stress. The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy scores indicated that parents' quality of life improved after the intervention in all domains except for physical well-being. However, no differences were found in parents' psychological distress and posttraumatic stress symptoms. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Our results suggest that the group intervention using the CLIMB(R) Program relieved children's posttraumatic stress symptoms and improved parents' quality of life. The intervention proved the feasibility of delivering the program using manuals and training. Further research is needed to provide more substantiation for the benefits of the program.
Kobayashi M; Heiney SP; Osawa K; Ozawa M; Matsushima E
Palliative And Supportive Care
2017
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1017/s1478951516001115" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1017/s1478951516001115</a>
Preferences of advanced cancer patients for communication on anticancer treatment cessation and the transition to palliative care
Advanced Cancer; Cancer Patient; Cancer Therapy; Female; Male; Palliative Therapy; Cancer Localization; Child; Diagnosis; Distress Syndrome; Doctor Patient Relation; Human; Life Expectancy; Major Clinical Study; Medical Record; Multiple Regression; Paternalism; Symptom
The aim of this study was to clarify advanced cancer patients' communication preferences regarding ending anticancer treatment and transitioning to palliative care, and to explore variables associated with these preferences. Participants were 106 Japanese cancer patients who had been informed at least 1 week earlier of the cessation of their anticancer treatment. They completed a survey measuring their preferences for communication about ending anticancer treatment and transitioning to palliative care, as well as their demographic characteristics. Medical records were also examined to investigate medical characteristics. Results of the descriptive analysis indicated that patients strongly preferred their physicians to listen to their distress and concerns (96%), assure them that their painful symptoms would be controlled (97.1%), and explain the status of their illness and the physical symptoms that would likely occur in the future (95.1%). Multiple regression analyses indicated the factors associated with these preferences: telling patients to prepare mentally, and informing them of their expected life expectancy, was associated with cancer site; sustaining hope was associated with cancer site and children; and empathic paternalism was associated with duration since cancer diagnosis. The majority of patients preferred their physicians to be realistic about their likely future and to be reassured that their painful symptoms would be controlled. For patients with certain cancer sites, those with children, and those more recently diagnosed, physicians should communicate carefully and actively by providing information on life expectancy and mental preparation, sustaining hope, and behaving as empathic paternalism.
Umezawa S; Fujimori M; Matsushima E; Kinoshita H; Uchitomi Y
Psycho-oncology
2017
Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4476" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">10.1002/pon.4476</a>