Effective Support for Parents of Children with Cancer: One-on-One vs. Group Interventions

Examining Intervention Styles on Resilience in Parents of Children with Cancer

The Psychological Strain on Parents

Parents of children diagnosed with cancer often endure significant psychological stress. This stress may stem from various sources, including financial concerns, difficulties in understanding their child’s illness, challenges in caregiving, and overall emotional distress. To assist parents in managing these stresses, psychological interventions have been developed.

Introduction of PRISM-P

One such intervention is the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management for Parents (PRISM-P) program, designed specifically to enhance resilience among parents. A critical question arises: Which intervention method is more effective—individual or group sessions?

Research Study Overview

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association explored the PRISM-P program over two years, from December 2016 to December 2018. The study involved parents of children between the ages of two and 24 who had recently received a cancer diagnosis. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three intervention groups: “usual care,” usual care plus one-on-one PRISM-P, or usual care combined with group PRISM-P.

Intervention Details

The usual care involved collaboration with a social worker, while the PRISM-P program offered training in stress management, goal-setting skills, cognitive reframing, and benefit finding. All interventions were conducted by the same psychologist, and participants completed baseline and follow-up surveys to measure outcomes.

Study Findings

The findings indicated that parents who participated in the one-on-one PRISM-P intervention experienced the greatest benefits and reported increased resilience compared to those who received only usual care. In contrast, parents in the group PRISM-P intervention did not achieve the same level of positive outcomes, suggesting that the group setting may not have provided the same comfort and support found in one-on-one sessions.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The results emphasize the importance of alleviating psychological and caregiving stress for parents of children with cancer. The study advocates for the availability of more individualized interventions, such as the PRISM-P program, to better support these parents in coping with their challenging circumstances.

Author Information

Written by Laura Laroche, HBASc, Medical Writer

Reference

Rosenberg, Abby R, et al. “Effect of the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management Intervention for Parents of Children With Cancer (PRISM-P)”. JAMA. 2019. Online.

Image Credit

Image by Lorraine Cormier from Pixabay