Randomized Controlled Trial of the Meaning-Making Intervention (MMi)

NCT ID: NCT01693991

Last Updated: 2014-07-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 60 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2012-10-31
• Study Completion Date: 2013-12-31

Brief Summary

Research questions: Pilot study research questions: Primary: 1)Can we recruit a sufficient number (i.e., at least 60 patients over 9 months) and retain a sufficient proportion of both men and women (i.e., at least 80% at 2, 4, or 6 months post-randomization) with advanced cancer in all 3 trial arms to allow completion of a full study in 4 years?; 2)Is MMi acceptable: to a general ACP? to both men and women?; Secondary: 1)Is it feasible to complete the intervention in 3-4 weeks? 2)How long is it feasible to test MMi effects: 2, 4 or 6 months post-randomization(retention rate=80%)? 3)Which recruitment strategies are most helpful? 4)What sample size is needed for a full study? Full-study research questions: Primary: Does adding the MMi to usual care (experimental group or EG) enhance meaning in life among newly diagnosed ACP, compared with those receiving usual care plus meetings with an empathic non-professional visitor (i.e., attention-control group or AC) or usual care alone (UC), at x months post-randomization? (time determined in pilot) "Meaning in life" (primary outcome) is defined as the belief that one's life has significance and purpose (i.e., global meaning) and "newly diagnosed ACP" is defined as the 6 months after first occurrence of, progression toward, or recurrence of stage III or IV cancer (TNM classification system). Secondary: In our future full-study, we plan to evaluate MMi effects on secondary outcomes such as existential wellbeing (MQOL existential wellbeing) and posttraumatic growth (Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory). We also plan to test a theoretical model where sense of meaning in life has a protective (moderating) effect on tertiary outcomes such as physical QoL (MQOL physical subscale), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)), and overall QoL (MQOL Total) in EG patients. Methodology: RCT pilot study with 60 newly diagnosed ACP (stages III or IV) within 2 months of referral and 6 months of randomization, assigned randomly to: (1) EG, (2) AC, or (3) UC. Patients will complete self-report questionnaires (including outcome measures, as well as sociodemographic and medical variables) at 2, 4 and 6 months post-randomization.

Detailed Description

See above

Conditions

Advanced Cancer

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Meaning-Making intervention (MMi)

Patients in this arm will be receiving the Meaning-Making intervention (MMi) as per intervention manual (Lee, 2006).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Meaning-Making intervention (MMi)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

MMi and attention control sessions will take place weekly for 3 weeks at the patient's home or hospital, as the patient prefers. We will try to limit delays to no more than 1 week if needed (e.g., for recovery from treatment side-effects), but because the feasibility of this schedule is one of the research questions, if more flexibility is required we will not withdraw people from the study if the delay is longer, since a longer intervention period could be incorporated in a full-scale RCT. Dates and duration of each session will be tracked. MMi sessions will be conducted by 2 bilingual mental health professionals (nurse, social worker, or psychologist) with at least 1 year of clinical oncology experience and will be initiated within 1 week after randomization.

Empathic visitor

This person will provide the basic ingredients fostering a good therapeutic relationship (i.e., trust, warmth, empathy, neutrality and authenticity) without further intervention or probing. The empathic visitor will be specifically instructed to avoid initiating discussions about meaning (e.g., how the patient interprets his feelings and thoughts, understands his/her illness and meaning in life), and focus discussions on what is currently happening (rather than on the interface between past and present).

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Empathic visitor

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This person will provide the basic ingredients fostering a good therapeutic relationship (i.e., trust, warmth, empathy, neutrality and authenticity) without further intervention or probing. The empathic visitor will be specifically instructed to avoid initiating discussions about meaning (e.g., how the patient interprets his feelings and thoughts, understands his/her illness and meaning in life), and focus discussions on what is currently happening (rather than on the interface between past and present).

Control Group

Patients in this group will only be receiving treatment as usual.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Meaning-Making intervention (MMi)

MMi and attention control sessions will take place weekly for 3 weeks at the patient's home or hospital, as the patient prefers. We will try to limit delays to no more than 1 week if needed (e.g., for recovery from treatment side-effects), but because the feasibility of this schedule is one of the research questions, if more flexibility is required we will not withdraw people from the study if the delay is longer, since a longer intervention period could be incorporated in a full-scale RCT. Dates and duration of each session will be tracked. MMi sessions will be conducted by 2 bilingual mental health professionals (nurse, social worker, or psychologist) with at least 1 year of clinical oncology experience and will be initiated within 1 week after randomization.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Empathic visitor

This person will provide the basic ingredients fostering a good therapeutic relationship (i.e., trust, warmth, empathy, neutrality and authenticity) without further intervention or probing. The empathic visitor will be specifically instructed to avoid initiating discussions about meaning (e.g., how the patient interprets his feelings and thoughts, understands his/her illness and meaning in life), and focus discussions on what is currently happening (rather than on the interface between past and present).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

MMi

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria: 1) Diagnosed with advanced cancer (stage III or IV --TNM classification system; 117); first occurrence, progression or recurrence) of any type of solid tumour <2 months at referral and <6 months at randomization. 2) Willing to participate in weekly MMi or AC sessions. 3) >18 years. 4) Alert and capable of giving free and informed consent. 5) Able to speak and read English or French.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion Criteria: 1) Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score <60 (rated by referring oncologists/nurses or Research Coordinator (RC)) or expected survival <6 months according to clinical judgment. 2) Currently receiving radiotherapy (Rx) treatment (although these patients can be reassessed after Rx). Patients will only be included in the study when they have recovered from severe side-effects from Rx and when they feel they can participate in the study. Severe side-effects are defined as a score of 3 or 4 on any of the site-specific toxicity markers of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Common Toxicity Criteria or with more than 3 markers with a score of 2 (moderate side-effects), as evaluated by the treating physician (in consultation with the radiotherapist. 3) Suicidal. Present a score of ≥2 on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) suicide item (item #9), administered by the RC or RA during the consent meeting. 4) Known diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. 5) Planning a trip within 2 months that would interrupt delivery of the MMi or AC.

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Jewish General Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Melissa Henry

Psychologist

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Melissa Henry, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital; and McGill University

S Robin Cohen, Ph.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital; and McGill University

Locations

McGill University Health Centre

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Jewish General Hospital

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Countries

Canada

Other Identifiers

258431

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id