The effects of the CLIMB® program on psychobehavioral functioning and emotion regulation in children with a parent or caregiver with cancer: A pilot study

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the psychobehavioral benefits of the Children's Lives Include Moments of Bravery (CLIMB®) intervention in 45 children (aged 6–11) with a parent/caregiver with cancer. Parent/caregiver reports of psychobehavioral functioning indicated signi-ficant decreases in children's emotional symptoms and marginally significant reductions in conduct problems. Child reports of emotion regulation indicated significant increases in emotion awareness, significant decreases in emotion suppression, and nonsignificant increases in emotion-focused coping and dysregulated expression. Parents/caregivers and children reported high satisfaction with CLIMB®. Results suggest CLIMB® is a promising intervention for improving psychobehavioral functioning and emotion regulation in children with a parent/caregiver with cancer.

KEYWORDS:

• children
• CLIMB®
• psychobehavioral functioning
• emotion regulation
• parent or caregiver with cancer

Note

Acknowledgments

The authors appreciate the invaluable contributions made by study partners and coordinators at each of the participating sites, including Joy Curt, BSW; Joy Hilliker, RN, BSN; Linda Moore, BS; and Lisa Bagci, BS, RHIA, CTR of the Cancer Center at Cookeville Regional Medical Center, Cookeville, TN. Marcelyn Elwood, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C; Nan Bethmann, RN, BSN, OCN; and Dawn Derks, MSN, APRN, CNS, OCN of Marshfield Clinic Cancer Care at Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, WI. Marisa B. Nowitz, MSW, LCSW of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. Kristin Leonardi-Warren, RN, ND, CNS; Lindsey Martinez Wise, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C; and Kelly Adams, BA of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, Denver, CO. Patsy Astarita, LCSW-C, OSW-C; Michelle Byers, LGSW, OSW-C; Margie Tillett, RN, MS; and Natalie Lucas-Teter, RN, MS of the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, Kaufman Cancer Center, Bel Air, MD. This study could not have been completed without their dedication and interest in both delivering the intervention and supporting multiple aspects of the evaluation including IRB protocol development and submission as well as data collection and management.

Funding

This study was conducted by OMNI Institute, a nonprofit and nonpartisan social science agency. The study was funded by The Children's Treehouse Foundation, developer of the CLIMB® Intervention. The Children's Treehouse Foundation develops and markets training and educational materials related to the intervention.

Notes

1. The intervention allows for flexibility with the number and length of sessions. In the current study, number of sessions per cohort ranged from 4 to 6 (median = 6) and session length ranged from 60 to 120 min (median = 90).