A Family-Centered Intervention When a Parent is Cared for in Specialized Homecare

NCT ID: NCT03119545

Last Updated: 2019-06-25

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 33 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2017-03-01
• Study Completion Date: 2019-06-24

Brief Summary

The overall purpose of this project is to evaluate a family-centered intervention (the Family Talk Intervention, by W. Beardslee) in families where a parent of children aged 6-19 years is seriously ill and cared for in specialized homecare. The aims of the intervention are to increase family communication, the families' awareness of the impending death and their knowledge about the cancer illness, and thereby reduce the family members' long-term psychological distress.

Detailed Description

The death of a parent is one of the most traumatic events that can happen to a Child. In our previous research, we have found that a lack of medical knowledge, communication and awareness of impending death increased long-term psychological morbidity among bereaved family members. Unfortunately, very few clinical interventions in palliative care have been conducted in Sweden.There is therefore a need to develop and evaluate interventions that aim to decrease the risk for psychological morbidity in families affected loss.

The overall purpose of this project is to evaluate a family-centered intervention (the Family Talk Intervention, by W. Beardslee) in families where a parent of children aged 6-19 years is seriously ill and cared for in specialized homecare. The aims of the intervention are to increase family communication, the families' awareness of the impending death and their knowledge about the cancer illness, and thereby reduce the family members' long-term psychological distress.

This study is a family-based intervention study among families where a parent of young children is seriously ill. It involves an intervention group and a comparison group. The two groups will consist of families where the seriously ill parent has at least one child in the age range 6-19 years. Around thirty families will be recruited by two interventionists through two specialized homecare unit in Stockholm and this is expected to take about 18 months. Families in the comparison group (N=30) will be recruited by a research member at two other specialized homecare units in the Stockholm area.

The effect of the intervention will be measured by questionnaires to both parents and children. Questionnaire data collection will be conducted before the intervention is started (baseline, for both intervention and control group). After two months there will be a follow-up for both groups. The next follow-up for both groups will be performed one year after the baseline.

In order to examine the meaning of the intervention for all family members and the study-feasibility we are planning to conduct interviews after meeting 5. Interviews with the whole family respectively each family members will be conducted.

Conditions

Palliative Care

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Beardslee family centered intervention

This Group will have the family centered program.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Beardslee family centered intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The method entails six meetings. The time for the meeting is 1-2 hours and is usually held once per week. Meetings 1 and 2) include only the parents and focus firstly on the ill parent's history and secondly on the well parent/relative. Meeting 3) includes interviews with each child aged 6-19 years, without the parents being present, concerning the child´s understanding of the disease, potential worries and questions. During the interview the child can formulate his or her own questions for the family meeting. Meeting 4) includes the parents and focuses on the planning of the family meeting. The child's thoughts and questions serve as a guide for the upcoming family meeting. Meeting 5) is the family meeting. Meeting 6) is a follow-up with all of the family members.

Comparison group

This Group will have standard care

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Beardslee family centered intervention

The method entails six meetings. The time for the meeting is 1-2 hours and is usually held once per week. Meetings 1 and 2) include only the parents and focus firstly on the ill parent's history and secondly on the well parent/relative. Meeting 3) includes interviews with each child aged 6-19 years, without the parents being present, concerning the child´s understanding of the disease, potential worries and questions. During the interview the child can formulate his or her own questions for the family meeting. Meeting 4) includes the parents and focuses on the planning of the family meeting. The child's thoughts and questions serve as a guide for the upcoming family meeting. Meeting 5) is the family meeting. Meeting 6) is a follow-up with all of the family members.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

the family talk intervention

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• At least one Child in the family 6-19 years
• Speaking and understanding Swedish
• One parent with severe illness or dying

Exclusion Criteria

• If the family is in need of interpreter

• Minimum Eligible Age: 6 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Ersta Sköndal University College

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Malin Lövgren

Associate professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Malin Lövgren, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College

Locations

Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College

Stockholm, , Sweden

Countries

Sweden

References

Weber Falk M, Eklund R, Kreicbergs U, Alvariza A, Lovgren M. Breaking the silence about illness and death: Potential effects of a pilot study of the family talk intervention when a parent with dependent children receives specialized palliative home care. Palliat Support Care. 2022 Aug;20(4):512-518. doi: 10.1017/S1478951521001322.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 35876452 (View on PubMed)

Eklund R, Alvariza A, Kreicbergs U, Jalmsell L, Lovgren M. The family talk intervention for families when a parent is cared for in palliative care - potential effects from minor children's perspectives. BMC Palliat Care. 2020 Apr 16;19(1):50. doi: 10.1186/s12904-020-00551-y.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 32299420 (View on PubMed)

Eklund R, Kreicbergs U, Alvariza A, Lovgren M. The family talk intervention in palliative care: a study protocol. BMC Palliat Care. 2018 Feb 23;17(1):35. doi: 10.1186/s12904-018-0290-8.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 29471826 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

2017/7-31/1

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id