New intervention improves coping and well-being in young cancer patients

A cancer diagnosis can upend any life. For young adults already navigating a step into independence, it can be especially distressing.

But there are few evidence-based interventions to help this age group problem-solve and reduce stress. To address the gap, Rutgers University researchers tested the efficacy of Bright IDEAS, a problem-solving skills training intervention based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, in reducing depression and anxiety and improving their overall health-related quality of life in people ages 18 to 39, which the National Cancer Institute defines as "young adults."

Their study, published in JAMA Network Open, found young adults who participated in the Bright IDEAS program showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms and improvements in their quality of life compared with members of the control group.

Bright IDEAS participants felt less overwhelmed and more empowered. This shows that a relatively brief intervention delivered by trained professionals can have a profound impact on patient well-being."

Katie Devine, Associate Director of the New Jersey Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Jersey's only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center together with RWJBarnabas Health

Bright IDEAS teaches a five-step tactical approach to problem solving (IDEAS is an acronym standing for the steps of problem-solving: Identify the problem, Define your options, Evaluate options, Act and See if it worked) in a positive context (as in "bright").

"The goal is by improving problem-solving skills, young adults will be better equipped to identify and act on problems and thus reduce symptoms of distress and improve quality of life," said Devine, an author of the study who also is an associate professor at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The Bright IDEAS intervention is completed over six video sessions by licensed mental health professionals or supervised trainees who are trained to deliver the Bright IDEAS program.

"In each session, they address challenges and walk through the problems to identify solutions," Devine says. "Instead of feeling overwhelmed about how to manage what is happening to them, they become empowered to manage their stressors."

The study included 344 young adults between 18 and 39 who were within four months of a first cancer diagnosis and who were undergoing systemic therapy such as chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy or stem cell transplant at Rutgers Cancer Institute in New Brunswick, N.J., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.

Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial, with half the participants receiving Bright IDEAS and the other half receiving usual psychosocial care of visits with a social worker and provided resources. The participants were surveyed to measure their symptoms at three and six months after enrollment.

"We are next planning a trial in community oncology settings, where most young adults receive their treatment, to make Bright IDEAS more accessible to patients who may not have access to large urban cancer centers," Devine said.

Other Rutgers authors involved in the study are Sharon Manne, Kristine Levonyan-Radloff, Shengguo Li and Pamela Ohman Strickland.