Meaning-Centered Counseling for Chinese Patients Who Are Being Treated for Advanced Cancer
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
The purpose of the study is to modify a type of counseling called "Individual Meaning Centered Psychotherapy" to meet the needs of Chinese cancer patients. Many cancer patients use counseling or other resources to help cope with the emotional burden of their illnesses. Counseling often helps them cope with cancer by giving them a place to express their feelings. "Meaning-Centered" counseling aims to teach cancer patients how to maintain or even increase a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives, despite cancer.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
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Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Chinese patients with advanced cancer IMCP intervention to be culturally & linguistically tailored for Chinese cancer patients. This study will be carried out in 3 phases: 1) formative research & 2) adaptation. For this application we will continue the formative research (phase 1) by conducting 20 to 30 indepth interviews with Chinese immigrants with advanced cancer to inform the adaptation of the intervention. Results of the patient in-depth interviews will inform how to adapt the IMCP process & session themes to reflect the needs of the community. In the adaptation phase (phase 2) the Breitbart IMCP research team (including Drs. Breitbart, Lichtenthal, & Applebaum), Drs. Leng, Gany, & Ms. Huang will discuss a priori adaptations to the intervention. Potential changes to the process & content will be discussed. Adaptations will be incorporated in a modified IMCP-Ch treatment manual, therapist checklist/outline & Treatment Integrity Coding Manual. PHASE 3: Conduct feasibility study of IMCP-Ch for Chinese cancer patients |
Behavioral: In-depth Patient Interviews
Behavioral: Adaptation of IMCP for Chinese Immigrant Cancer Patients
Behavioral: Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Chinese (IMCP-Ch) (For Phase 3)
The six sessions will be delivered every or every other week over a span of 6-16 weeks, depending on participant and interventionist availability. Sessions may also be delivered within 2 weeks to accommodate schedules. Sessions will take place via MSK-approved videoconferencing platforms (e.g. Zoom) or by telephone, depending on participant preference. The IMCP-Ch intervention will be delivered via telehealth in Mandarin Chinese by a bilingual interventionist or in English (for bilingual Chinese and English-speaking patients who prefer English) by an English-speaking therapist or through English-to-Mandarin Remote Simultaneous Medical Interpretation (RSMI), depending on participants' preference.
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Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- adapt the Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (IMCP) [2 years]
through formative research, including in-depth interviews, to be culturally and linguistically tailored for Chinese immigrant cancer patients (IMCP-Ch), using the Ecological Validity Model (EVM) of Bernal et al. (3) and the Cultural Adaptation Process (CAP) model of Domenech-Rodriquez and Weiling (1). This addresses existential issues using didactics and experiential exercises and has demonstrated efficacy in reducing existential suffering and improving psychosocial functioning among advanced cancer patients.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Phases 1 and 2:
Interview Inclusion Criteria (per self-report):
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Non-US born;
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Of Chinese descent;
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Age 21 years through 80 years;
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Language spoken: Mandarin and/or English
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Diagnosis of Stage IV cancer (any type).
Phase 3:
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Advanced cancer (per physician assessment or on the MSKCC EMR)
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Age 18 or older
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Of Chinese descent
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Mandarin-speaking
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Have an estimated life expectancy of at least 6 months (per self-report or on the MSKCC EMR)
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Resides in New York State
Exclusion Criteria:
Phases 1 and 2:
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Presence of cognitive impairment disorder (e.g., delirium or dementia) sufficient to preclude meaningful informed consent and/or data collection. The Chinese version of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (46) will be used as a cognitive screening tool. Patients with MMSE scores below 20 will be excluded. For English speaking patients we will use the English version of the MMSE.
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Has a household member who has already participated (or agreed to participate).
Phase 3:
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Previous participation in Phases 1 or 2 of the study
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Unable/unwilling to use or no access to a telehealth platform (i.e., telephone or videoconference)
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For participants who express interest in RSMI, unable/unwilling to use Zoom videoconferencing platform
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Unable or unwilling to commit to up to 16 weeks to complete 6-session intervention and follow-up assessments
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Major psychiatric illness or cognitive impairment that in the judgment of study investigators or study staff would preclude study participation
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Patients diagnosed with primary brain tumors (per self-report or on the MSKCC EMR), as they may have difficulty completing the intervention and answering questionnaires
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Undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (per self-report or on the MSKCC EMR)
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Currently in psychotherapeutic treatment (patients being treated with psychotropic medications will not be excluded, as long as they are not in psychotherapy; per self report)
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | New York | New York | United States | 10065 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital
- Charles B. Wang Community Health Center (CBWCHC)
- American Cancer Society - Asian Initiatives
- New York Coalition for Asian American Mental Health (NYCAAMH)
- New York Hospital Queens
- Chinese Christian Herald Crusades (CCHC)
- Cheung and Kan Medical Group, PLLC
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Jennifer Leng, MD, MPH, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Additional Information:
Publications
None provided.- 14-076