Narrative Exposure Therapy to Reduce Symptoms of Traumatic Stress in Cancer Survivors

NCT ID: NCT05272553

Last Updated: 2022-05-19

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 6 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-03-04
• Study Completion Date: 2023-09-30

Brief Summary

The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effectiveness of NET in reducing symptoms of traumatic stress (e.g., hyperarousal, avoidance, and intrusion) in cancer patients who are not in active treatment.

Further aims include:

• Can NET be effective in reducing symptoms of existential anxiety, anxiety, and depression in cancer patients who are not in active treatment?
• Can NET improve the Quality of Life (QoL) of cancer patients who are not in active treatment? And are improvements in QoL associated to reduction of traumatic stress?
• Can NET lead to post-traumatic growth?
• Does the NET protocol need to be adapted to meet cancer patients' needs?

Detailed Description

Research has shown that cancer can lead to significant emotional and social distress. Many elements of the cancer experience can be perceived as traumatic by cancer patients, including diagnostic testing, waiting periods, prolonged and invasive treatment procedures, follow-up scans, and fear of recurrence.

Unlike single traumatic events, cancer behaves as an ongoing and chronic stressor. Emotional and social distress (including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders), can lead to reduced treatment compliance and less adherence to a healthy lifestyle which might compromise chances of survival.

Research has shown that due to the psychological distress experienced during diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, cancer patients are interested in receiving psychosocial support; unfortunately, their distress is often perceived as "normal" and "manageable" by professionals. The result is that 30-40% of cancer patients are not supported.

This study aims to evaluate whether Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) can be a feasible, acceptable, and effective intervention to reduce symptoms of traumatic stress in adult cancer patients who are not in active treatment. NET is a time-limited, structured, and evidenced-based intervention designed to reduce symptoms of traumatic stress through two main processes: fear habituation and integration of the traumas within the autobiographical memory. Six participants will be recruited with the support of Clinical Psychologists working in cancer services across Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, they will receive around twelve weekly interventions sessions. Changes will be explored through outcome measures administered before, during, and after the intervention and through interviews about their experience at the end.

The study is founded by The University of Nottingham. Potential benefits include providing initial evidence to address traumatic stress in cancer patients, providing an intervention which could be suitable for psycho-oncology services which might lack resources to offer long-term psychosocial support, and contributing to the evidence for the use of NET in a new group.

Conditions

Traumatic Stress Disorder; Cancer

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Narrative Exposure Therapy

This is a single case series design which focuses on assessing whether Narrative Exposure Therapy could reduce symptoms of traumatic stress in cancer survivors; no comparator will be included.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Narrative Exposure Therapy

Intervention Type: OTHER

NET (Schauer et al., 2011) is an evidence-based, short-term, manualised treatment for trauma-spectrum disorders; it aims to reduce symptoms of traumatic stress in individuals who continue to suffer from past experiences of traumatic stressors; NET combines principles of CBT, Testimony Therapy, and Exposure Therapy.

Interventions

Narrative Exposure Therapy

NET (Schauer et al., 2011) is an evidence-based, short-term, manualised treatment for trauma-spectrum disorders; it aims to reduce symptoms of traumatic stress in individuals who continue to suffer from past experiences of traumatic stressors; NET combines principles of CBT, Testimony Therapy, and Exposure Therapy.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adults (18 and over)
• Diagnosed with cancer in adulthood
• Able to provide informed consent
• Able to communicate verbally and speak English
• Not in active treatment (at any stage post-treatment)
• Suffer from symptoms of traumatic stress caused or triggered by the cancer experience. A diagnosis of PTSD is not required (PTSD Checklist Civilian, PCL-C cut-off score: 29 and above).
• No specific form of cancer

Exclusion Criteria

Participants have a known diagnosis of Intellectual Disability (ID)

• Participants must not be receiving other forms of psychosocial support whilst engaging in NET
• They are substance dependent
• They are actively psychotic

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Health Service, United Kingdom

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Nottingham

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Thomas Schröder

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Nottingham

Locations

The University of Nottingham

Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom

Countries

United Kingdom

Other Identifiers

21083

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id