A pilot feasibility study of a group-delivered cancer parenting program: Enhancing Connections-Group

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility and short-term impact of a 5-session fully manualized, group-delivered cancer parenting education program to diagnosed parents or surrogate parents with a school-age child.

Design

Single group, pre-post-test design with intent to treat analysis.

Sample

A total of 16 parents completed the program who were diagnosed within 12 months with non-metastatic cancer of any type (Stages 0-III), read and wrote English, had a child 5-17 years old who knew the parent’s diagnosis.

Methods

Assessments occurred at baseline and at 2 months post-baseline on standardized measures of parental depressed mood, anxiety, parenting self-efficacy, parenting quality, parenting skills and child behavioral-emotional adjustment.

Findings/Results

The program was feasible and well accepted: 16/18 (89%) of the enrolled participants were included in the intent to treat analysis. Program staff were consistently positive and enthusiastic about the demonstrated skills they observed in group attendees during the group-delivered sessions, including the emergence of support between attendees. Outcomes on all measures improved between baseline and post-intervention; changes were statistically significant on measures of parents’ anxiety, parents’ self-efficacy, parents’ skills, and parenting quality.

Conclusions

The group-delivered Enhancing Connections cancer parenting program has potential to improve behavioral-emotional outcomes on standardized measures of skills and emotional adjustment in parents, parent-surrogates and children. Future testing is warranted.

Implications for Psychosocial Providers

After a brief training, a fully manualized cancer parenting program can enhance parenting competencies and parent-reported child outcomes.

Keywords:

• Cancer
• group therapy
• parenting education
• pilot study

Acknowledgments

The content of the article is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors also want to acknowledge the leadership at the national office of the Cancer Support Community, program directors at the affiliate Beta test sites, Zainab Alzawad, PhD, Vicki Kennedy and Victor L. Martin.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute, NIH under award number R03 CA212993-01.