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Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Training for Cancer-Related Distress

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Jamie Jacobs, Ph.D

Research Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Be older than 18 years old

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up up to 26 weeks

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial is to train therapists to provide evidence-based psychotherapy tailored to individuals with cancer to help with distress, pain, fatigue, and more. 100 people and 15 therapists will participate over 26 weeks.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for adults over 18 in Massachusetts with cancer-related distress, who are receiving care at MGH Cancer Center. They must report significant distress related to their illness or treatment and be a clinical psychology fellow or psychiatry resident. Excluded are those with uncontrolled psychosis, recent psychiatric hospitalization, cognitive impairments that prevent participation, current psychotherapy involvement, or recent substance dependence.

What is being tested?

The study trains therapists to provide personalized evidence-based psychotherapies like CBT and ACT to cancer patients experiencing distress. Therapists will choose treatments based on the patient's specific issues such as insomnia or pain. The goal is to see how well these therapies help reduce emotional and physical symptoms caused by cancer.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this trial involves psychological therapy rather than medication, traditional side effects aren't expected. However, participants may experience emotional discomfort when discussing personal issues during therapy sessions.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ up to 26 weeks

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~up to 26 weeks

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and up to 26 weeks for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Evidence-Based Treatment Acceptability

Secondary study objectives

Coping Self-Efficacy

Quality of Life (FACT-G)

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Training in Individualized Evidence-Based Therapy in Cancer (Therapists)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

This arm will enroll therapist participants as part of the protocol. Therapists participants will enroll in the study and receive training in delivering evidence-based therapy to patients in the cancer center. Therapists will complete pre and post-measures of therapist self-efficacy and competence, as well as a semi-structured exit interview.

Group II: Individualized Evidence-Based Therapy in Cancer (Patients)Experimental Treatment1 Intervention

This arm will enroll patient participants receiving evidence-based therapy as part of the protocol. Participants will complete: * 6-16 sessions of therapy 1x/week. Sessions are virtual or in-person at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. * Surveys and questionnaires pre- and post-treatment. At the discretion of the therapist and the supervising therapist, the participant may receive up to 4 booster sessions after completion of the specific treatment protocol.

Do I qualify?Apply below to find out