A Trial of Couplelinks.ca
Summary
Women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) at or before the age of 40 experience more distress and poorer quality of life than women diagnosed later in life. (1-6) Although adequate spousal support is a protective factor for women with BC, (7-11) spouses are often unprepared to handle the myriad of practical and emotional demands posed by the illness. (12-16) Furthermore, despite the growing number of recommendations for couple interventions in relation to BC, (6,12,17-22) traditional counselling approaches may fail to meet the needs of young couples who have unique concerns and tight constraints on their time. The proposed project addresses the void in the psycho-social support available to young couples via an innovative, online psychoeducational intervention tailored specifically to their needs.
Couplelinks.ca is a custom-designed website offering a professionally facilitated, couple-centred intervention that entails informational, experiential, and interactive components. Six Dyadic Learning Modules (DLM) form the core of the program and are undertaken on a weekly basis. The proposed randomized controlled trial (RCT) is the next logical step following completion of a funded pilot study examining the feasibility and benefit of the program. In this Phase I study, a non-randomized, pre-post test design is being employed to assess the process and outcomes of the intervention. Qualitative feedback is also informing the evaluation. Preliminary findings have been promising and warrant further evaluation of the program's effectiveness. In Phase II of this program of research, we will determine whether this BC-specific, relationship-enhancement program leads to improved relationship and psychological outcomes for young couples affected by BC.
Study Design
Allocation: Randomized, Control: Active Control, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Conditions
Distress
Intervention
couplinks website
Location
BC Cancer Agency, Fraser Valley Centre
Surrey
British Columbia
Canada
V3V 1Z2
Status
Not yet recruiting
Source
British Columbia Cancer Agency
Results (where available)
Links
- Source: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01089764
- Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on July 15, 2010
Published on BioPortfolio: 2014-08-27T03:15:05-0400
Clinical Trials
Effectiveness of the HF-ACP Website Study
This study evaluates the effectiveness of an interactive website on advance care planning for patients living with heart failure (HF-ACP website). The investigators will randomize patients...
Evaluation of Web-Based CBT for Rape Victims
Rape is unfortunately a common experience among women, affecting between 13 and 20%. In addition, up to 50% of all rape victims experience significant and persistent psychological distress...
Evaluating a Website for Parents of Injured Children
The purpose of the current protocol is to evaluate the ability of the AfterTheInjury website to increase parent knowledge and skills.
The purpose pf this study is to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of a culturally and linguistically tailored clinical trial literacy website in increasing likelihood of participating...
Usability of a Website for People With Schizophrenia
This study will determine the usability of a website for people with schizophrenia versus other websites designed for the same purpose.
PubMed Articles
Applying a Balm: Medicating the Patient to Treat the (Moral) Distress of Caregivers.
Moral distress occurs when a nurse knows the right action but is impeded from taking that right action because of institutional constraints. Caring for patients who are dying might evoke distress, inc...
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) imposes a heavy psychosocial burden, with many patients reporting anxiety, depression, and distress. In diseases such as diabetes, disease-specific distress is associa...
Optimising eHealth tools for older patients: Collaborative redesign of a hospital website.
Most hospital websites have not been developed in collaboration with patients and, therefore, rarely take into account the preferences and abilities of older patients. This study describes the systema...
Pregnancy and childbirth are associated with new needs for mothers, especially an eagerness for information. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the Happy-Mums.be website meets the expectati...
It has already been established that severe psychological distress is a major risk factor for completed suicide. However, the impact (population attributable fraction; PAF) of moderate psychological d...
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Blogs
A website that contains conversational personal reflections, comments and sometimes links to other sites; typically run by an individual or small group.
Hoarding Disorder
Disordered behavior associated with clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning and persistent difficulty parting with possessions due to a perceived need to save the items and distress associated with discarding them. (from DSM-V) The quantity of collected items sets the behavior apart from normal collecting behaviors.
Patient Portals
A secure online website that provides patients convenient 24-hour access to personal health information via an Internet connection.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
A chronic lung disease developed after OXYGEN INHALATION THERAPY or mechanical ventilation (VENTILATION, MECHANICAL) usually occurring in certain premature infants (INFANT, PREMATURE) or newborn infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROME, NEWBORN). Histologically, it is characterized by the unusual abnormalities of the bronchioles, such as METAPLASIA, decrease in alveolar number, and formation of CYSTS.
Apgar Score
A method, developed by Dr. Virginia Apgar, to evaluate a newborn's adjustment to extrauterine life. Five items - heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability, and color - are evaluated 60 seconds after birth and again five minutes later on a scale from 0-2, 0 being the lowest, 2 being normal. The five numbers are added for the Apgar score. A score of 0-3 represents severe distress, 4-7 indicates moderate distress, and a score of 7-10 predicts an absence of difficulty in adjusting to extrauterine life.
