Stress, Adjustment And Growth In Children With Cancer And Their Parents

Official Title: “Stress, Adjustment And Growth In Children With Cancer And Their Parents”

The current proposal examines trauma and growth responses in the childhood cancer experience. It addresses a number of gaps and unanswered questions in the literature, while integrating several distinct but related lines of research. In the subsequent sections the study describes a series of findings that provide the rationale for this proposal, outlined briefly as follows:

1. Traumatic stress models focused on pathology dominate pediatric psychosocial oncology research despite empiric evidence of low levels of post-traumatic stress in this population.

2. The assumption of 'cancer as a traumatic event' has biased research designs (including lack of control comparisons) to focus on deficits and pathological outcomes.

3. This deficit-oriented approach has stimulated the development of interventions to treat or prevent PTSD, which may be unnecessary or even harmful.

4. Theoretical and empiric evidence suggests that a more common response to traumatic stress is growth and positive change, but posttraumatic growth phenomenon have been understudied in pediatric populations.

5. Cognitive and personality factors are important determinants of PTSD and positive growth outcomes, and some constructs from positive psychology theory may be particularly relevant in children with cancer.

6. Empirically, parents of children with cancer appear to be at higher risk of PTSD/PTSS, although results are not unequivocal, and the same research biases have applied to parental outcomes. This proposal includes assessment of parental PTSS and PTG, both as an outcome and a predictor of child outcomes.

This study examines the following outcomes:

1. To examine outcomes of posttraumatic growth and benefit finding (PTG) in children with cancer/cancer survivors in comparison to a population of children without history of serious illness.

2. To examine outcomes of posttraumatic stress (PTSS/PTSD) in children with cancer/cancer survivors in comparison to children without a history of serious illness.

3. To examine predictors of child posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth from medical variables, life events history, family environment, and child personality variables.

4. To apply an accelerated longitudinal design to examine trajectories of both pathological outcomes such as posttraumatic stress (PTSS0 and positive outcomes such as challenge-related growth (CRG) in children with cancer/cancer survivors in comparison to a population of children within a history of serious illness.

5. To examine outcomes of PTG and PTSS/PTSD in parents of children with cancer/cancer survivors in comparison to parents of healthy children. Parental PTSS/PTSD and PTG will be examined both as outcomes and as predictors of child outcomes.

6. To examine predictors of parent PTSS/PTSD and PTG from demographic and medical variables, life events history, and parent personality variables.

7. To determine the sensitivity/specificity of measures of PTSS in screening for PTSD based on diagnostic interview.

8. To examine the validity and reliability of a new measure of child personality, the Five Factor Personality Inventory for Children (FFPIC).

9. To examine emerging social developmental outcomes in this longitudinal cohort.

10. To develop an electronic version of the study measures and to compare data obtained electronically (on desktop or laptop computer), with data obtained on paper for comparability in reliability and outcomes obtained.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts in this Clinical Trial

• : Oncology Group
  • The study will recruit from outpatient clinics with procedures designed to obtain a representative sample of research participants, in terms of diagnosis and time since diagnosis.
• : Control Group
  • The study will first identify a large cohort of children who are willing to participate, and then call them back individually as they are found to match participants in the cancer group.

Primary Measures

• Examine outcomes of posttraumatic growth and benefit finding (PTG) in children with cancer/cancer survivors in comparison to a population of children without history of serious illness.
  • Time Frame: Two (2) years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Examine outcomes of posttraumatic stress (PTSS/PTSD) in children with cancer/cancer survivors in comparison to children without a history of serious illness.
  • Time Frame: 2 years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Examine predictors of child posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth from medical variables, life events history, family environment, and child personality variables.
  • Time Frame: 2 years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Examine difference in trajectories of pathological outcomes and positive outcomes between children with cancer/cancer survivors and children without a history of serious illness.
  • Time Frame: 4 years
    Safety Issue?: No

Secondary Measures

• Examine outcomes of PTG and PTSS/PTSD in parents of children with cancer/cancer survivors in comparison to parents of healthy children. Parental PTSS/PTSD and PTG will be examined both as outcomes and as predictors of child outcomes.
  • Time Frame: 2 years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Examine predictors of parent PTSS/PTSD and PTG from demographic and medical variables, life events history, and parent personality variables.
  • Time Frame: 2 years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Determine the sensitivity/specificity of measures of PTSS in screening for PTSD based on diagnostic interview.
  • Time Frame: 2 years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Examine the validity and reliability of a new measure of child personality, the Five Factor Personality Inventory for Children (FFPIC).
  • Time Frame: 2 years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Describe emerging social developmental outcomes in the longitudinal cohort.
  • Time Frame: 4 years
    Safety Issue?: No
• Compare data obtained electronically versus data obtained on paper for reliability and outcomes obtained.
  • Time Frame: 4 years
    Safety Issue?: No

Inclusion Criteria:

• Primary Group
• 1. Research participant is 8-17 years inclusive
• 2. Research participant has a primary diagnosis of malignancy
• 3. Research participant is at least one month from diagnosis with no upper limit in terms of time elapsed since diagnosis;
• 4. Research participant is able to speak and read English;
• 5. Research participant does not have any significant cognitive or sensory deficits that would preclude participation;
• 6. Parent/LAR and research participant is willing to participate and provide consent/assent
• Young Child Group
• 1. Research participant is 3 - 6 years of age, inclusive
• 2. Primary diagnosis of malignancy
• 3. At least one month from diagnosis
• 4. One parent/LAR willing to participate and provide consent
• 5. No history of sensory or developmental disorder that would invalidate study assessment procedures.
• Young Adult Group
• 1. Research participant is 18-25 years of age inclusive
• 2. Primary diagnosis of malignancy
• 3. At least one month from diagnosis with no upper limit in terms of time elapsed from diagnosis
• 4. Able to read and speak English
• 5. No cognitive or sensory deficits that would preclude participation
• 6. Willing to participate and provide consent
• Control Groups
• 1. Research participant in 3 age groups (3 - 6 years; 8-17 years; 18-25 years) to match patient groups
• 2. No history of chronic or life-threatening illness
• 3. No cognitive or sensory impairment that would preclude completion of study measures
• 4. Able to speak and read English
• 5. Parent/LAR and research participant are willing to participate and provide informed consent/assent

Gender Eligibility for this Clinical Trial: Both

Minimum Age for this Clinical Trial: 3 Years

Maximum Age for this Clinical Trial: 25 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted for this Clinical Trial?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Lead Investigator: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Other

Overall Clinical Trial Officials and Contacts

Sean Phipps, Ph.D Principal Investigator St. Jude Children's Research Hospital  

Overall Contact: Sean Phipps, Ph.D 1-866-278-5833 info@stjude.org

Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on February 12, 2012

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01044160

Study ID Number: PTSD2

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01044160

Health Authority: United States: Institutional Review Board

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital