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  • Guided internet-administered self-help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer during adolescence (U-CARE: YoungCan): a study protocol for a feasibility trial

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Mental health
Protocol
Guided internet-administered self-help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer during adolescence (U-CARE: YoungCan): a study protocol for a feasibility trial
  1. Malin Ander1,
  2. Anna Wikman1,
  3. Brjánn Ljótsson2,
  4. Helena Grönqvist1,
  5. Gustaf Ljungman3,
  6. Joanne Woodford4,
  7. Annika Lindahl Norberg1,
  8. Louise von Essen1
  1. 1Clinical Psychology in Healthcare, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
  2. 2Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
  3. 3Pediatric Oncology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
  4. 4Clinical Education Development and Research (CEDAR), Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
  1. Correspondence to Malin Ander; malin.ander{at}kbh.uu.se

Abstract

Introduction A subgroup of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer during adolescence reports elevated levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and unmet needs for psychological support. Evidence-based psychological treatments tailored for this population are lacking. This protocol describes a feasibility study of a guided-internet-administered self-help programme (YoungCan) primarily targeting symptoms of anxiety and depression among young persons diagnosed with cancer during adolescence and of the planned study procedures for a future controlled trial.

Methods/analysis The study is an uncontrolled feasibility trial with a pre-post and 3-month follow-up design. Potential participants aged 15–25 years, diagnosed with cancer during adolescence, will be identified via the Swedish Childhood Cancer Registry. 30 participants will be included. Participants will receive YoungCan, a 12-week therapist-guided, internet-administered self-help programme consisting primarily of cognitive–behavioural therapy organised into individually assigned modules targeting depressive symptoms, worry and anxiety, body dissatisfaction and post-traumatic stress. Interactive peer support and psychoeducative functions are also available. Feasibility outcomes include: recruitment and eligibility criteria; data collection; attrition; resources needed to complete the study and programme; safety procedures; participants' and therapists' adherence to the programme; and participants' acceptability of the programme and study methodology. Additionally, mechanisms of impact will be explored and data regarding symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, body dissatisfaction, reactions to social interactions, quality of life, axis I diagnoses according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and healthcare service use will be collected. Exploratory analyses of changes in targeted outcomes will be conducted.

Ethics/dissemination This feasibility protocol was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Uppsala, Sweden (ref: 2016/210). Findings will be disseminated to relevant research, clinical, health service and patient communities through publications in peer-reviewed and popular science journals and presentations at scientific and clinical conferences.

Trial registration number ISRCTN97835363.

  • adolescence
  • cognitive behavioural therapy
  • feasibility study
  • neoplasms
  • psychological treatment

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt and build upon this work, for commercial use, provided the original work is properly cited. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013906

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    Footnotes

    • Collaborators The authors wish to express their sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the development of the programme and study.

    • Contributors LvE conceived the idea for the project and secured funding. ALN and MA developed the YoungCan intervention with input from BL, GL and HG. LvE and MA developed the methodology and analysis plan with significant contributions from AW, BL and JW. All authors made substantial contributions to the drafting, critical revision and final approval of the manuscript.

    • Funding This work was supported by the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation, grant number PR2013-0039. This funding source had no role in the design of this study and will not have any role during its execution, analyses, interpretation of the data or decision to submit results.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Ethics approval Ethics approval was provided by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Uppsala, Sweden (ref: 2016/210).

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.