Cited by 195Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of LifeProblem Solving Skills DevelopmentFamily Support in Illness

Specificity of problem-solving skills training in mothers of children newly diagnosed with cancer: results of a multisite randomized clinical trial.

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Sahler, Olle Jane Z., Dolgin, Michael J., Phipps, Sean, Fairclough, Diane L., Askins, Martha A., Katz, Ernest R., Noll, Robert B., Butler, Robert W.·2013·Journal of Clinical Oncology

Abstract

PURPOSE: Diagnosis of cancer in a child can be extremely stressful for parents. Bright IDEAS, a problem-solving skills training (PSST) intervention, has been shown to decrease negative affectivity (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms) in mothers of newly diagnosed patients. This study was designed to determine the specificity of PSST by examining its direct and indirect (eg, social support) effects compared with a nondirective support (NDS) intervention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This randomized clinical trial included 309 English- or Spanish-speaking mothers of children diagnosed 2 to 16 weeks before recruitment. Participants completed assessments prerandomization (T1), immediately postintervention (T2), and at 3-month follow-up (T3). Both PSST and NDS consisted of eight weekly 1-hour individual sessions. Outcomes included measures of problem-solving skill and negative affectivity. RESULTS: There were no significant between-group differences at baseline (T1). Except for level of problem-solving skill, which was directly taught in the PSST arm, outcome measures improved equally in both groups immediately postintervention (T2). However, at the 3-month follow-up (T3), mothers in the PSST group continued to show significant improvements in mood, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress; mothers in the NDS group showed no further significant gains. CONCLUSION: PSST is an effective and specific intervention whose beneficial effects continue to grow after the intervention ends. In contrast, NDS is an effective intervention while it is being administered, but its benefits plateau when active support is removed. Therefore, teaching coping skills at diagnosis has the potential to facilitate family resilience over the entire course of treatment.

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  • Barriers to attending face-to-face programs include recurrent illness and/or ongoing disability in the child, time, childcare and financial pressures, and a preference to spend time at home following family separations.

    “Barriers to attending face-to-face programs include recurrent illness and/or ongoing disability in the child, time, childcare and financial pressures that have arisen from the child’s illness, and a preference to spend time at home following family separations associated with the child’s hospitalization [22–24].”

    From Take A Breath: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of an online group intervention to reduce traumatic stress in parents of children with a life threatening illness or injury (2016) · cites this paper as [24]

    The Results (page not specified) report withdrawals during a child’s medical crisis and difficulty scheduling sessions. The Discussion (page not specified) describes siblings’ care and wage-earning responsibilities as challenges to engaging fathers. The paper does not establish ongoing disability, financial pressures as a barrier to attendance, or a preference to stay home after hospitalization-related family separation. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The application of an ACT-based intervention is highly novel in this population, with past studies using traditional cognitive behavioral therapy or problem-solving therapy.

    “The application of an ACT-based intervention is highly novel in this population, with past studies using traditional cognitive behavioral therapy18,19,43,44 or problem-solving therapy.18,24”

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. D'Zurilla TJ, Nezu AM: Problem-Solving Ther- apy: A Positive Approach to Clinical Interventions (ed 3). New York, NY, Springer Publishing, 2007
  2. Nezu AM, Greenberg LM, Nezu CM: Psychoon- cology, in Weiner IB, Craighead WE (eds): The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology. New York, NY, John Wiley and Sons, 2010, pp 1354-1355

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Authors
Sahler, O. J. Z., Dolgin, M. J., Phipps, S., Fairclough, D. L., Askins, M. A., Katz, E. R., Noll, R. B., & Butler, R. W.
Affiliations
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (US)
Venue
Journal of Clinical Oncology
Published
2013-04-01
Volume
31
Issue
10
Pages
1329-1335
ISSN
  • 0732-183X (ISSN-L)
  • 1527-7755
OpenAlex
W2133615396
Cited by
195
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 1
FWCI
10.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Clinical Oncology (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Cancer Institute (R01CA098954)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Problem Solving Skills Development
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
Keywords
problem-solving training, mothers of children with cancer, childhood cancer, parental stress, negative affectivity, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, social support, coping strategies, family resilience
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety Disorders, Child, Child, Preschool, Depressive Disorder, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Middle Aged, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Neoplasms, Problem Solving, Stress, Psychological, Treatment Outcome

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