AzTrials
AzTrials

Pediatric CancerNCT04908020

Coping and Post Traumatic Distress in Children and Adolescents During Cancer Follow-up Care

An observational study of Pediatric Cancer and Follow-up Care, run by Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS at 1 site in Italy.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

To explore the presence of post traumatic disorder and its association with coping strategies in children and adolescents during cancer follow-up care. Hypothesis: the investigators expect a reduction of post traumatic symptoms according to adequate coping strategies (eg. approach coping styles). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 9 to 17 years
Conditions the study is for
Pediatric Cancer, Follow-up Care
What is being tested?
Follow-up patients
How many people
50 participants
Where
1 siteItaly
Study dates
19 Jan 2021to 31 Oct 2024
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 9 to 17 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Study population: The population is made up by children and adolescents, aged from 9 to 17, who received a cancer diagnosis, who completed oncological treatment and who are "out of therapies". Furthermore, they have to be included in a clinical follow-up program since less than 3 years.

Who may be able to join

  • Patients in cancer follow-up care since less than 3 years
  • Scheduled to follow-up appointement
  • Italian speaking
  • Patients' and parents' consent

Who cannot join

  • Cognitive and/or developmental impairment

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Italy1 site
  • Meyer Children's Hospital

    Florence, 50139

Other trials in Italy

About this study

Official title: Coping and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children and Adolescents During Cancer Follow-up Care: a Prospective Observational Cohort Study

To explore the presence of post traumatic disorder and its association with coping strategies in children and adolescents during cancer follow-up care.

Hypothesis: the investigators expect a reduction of post traumatic symptoms according to adequate coping strategies (eg. approach coping styles).

Read the detailed description

Oncological disease in childhood or adolescence can represent a highly traumatic experience, considering its physical, psychological and social consequences in the short and long term. The literature has investigated this population both in the acute phase of the disease and at the end of the therapies to explore the potentially traumatic effects of this experience. While some studies support the non-incidence of post-traumatic symptoms related to the disease and underline a post-traumatic growth, other studies confirm a high risk of developing post-traumatic symptoms. This risk increases according to specific demographic (eg. age of diagnosis) and clinical (eg. type of disease, of treatments, etc.) characteristics. The literature also points out that these consequences can be mediated by some factors, including coping strategies, that is the way patients manage stress.

The study aims: to investigate the presence of post-traumatic symptoms in patients out of therapy and in follow-up care; to explore the possible association between this post-traumatic symptomatology and the coping strategies used by the patients; to focus the possible correlation between post traumatic symptoms, coping and the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients.

Being tested
Follow-up patients
Keywords
post-traumatic stress, coping, pediatric cancer, follow-up
Medical subject headings
Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Follow-up patientsOther

    The intervention consists in the assessment of some psychological aspects (post traumatic stress symptoms and coping) of cancer patients in follow-up care, through specific tests. Each patient fills out the test battery during the psychological consult. At the same time, it is involved a parent to collect personal and clinical data through an ad hoc questionnaire.

Study groups in NCT04908020
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Follow upThe group is made up by children and adolescents, aged from 9 to 17, who received a cancer diagnosis, who completed oncological treatment and who are included in a clinical follow-up program since less than 3 years. Furthermore, the study involves one parent for each patient to collect demographics and clinical data.
Receives: Other: Follow-up patients

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. post traumatic stress symptoms

    Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC-A) is a self report questionnaire that assess children and adolscents' post-traumatic symptoms with 5 clinical scales: anxiety, depression, anger, post-traumatic distress, dissociation (the complete version TSCC includes sexual interest scale). It can be filled out by children and adolescents aged from 8 to 17. Each patient has to read a list of thoughts, feelings and behaviors and to rate their frequency on a 4-point Likert scale (1= never; 5= always).

    Measured: Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms are assessed at the first psychological consult since beginning of the study, indipendently from follow up time. Is a single assessment for every partecipant.

  2. coping strategies type_12-17

    Coping Responsing Inventory (youth version; CRI-YOUTH): self report questionnaire that identify and monitor adolescents' coping strategies to manage stress. The CRI-youth assess coping strategies of youth, aged from 12 to 18, using 8 scales: these scales cover the areas of approach coping styles (Logical Analysis, Positive Reappraisal, Seeking Guidance and Support, and Problem Solving) and avoidant coping styles (Cognitive Avoidance, Acceptance or Resignation, Seeking Alternative Rewards, and Emotional Discharge).

    CRI-YOUTH is rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1= never; 5= always), with T-points from 20 to 80+ with higher scores indicating a higher usage of a coping strategy.

    Each patient had to read a list of sentences about the cognitive and behavioral responses to cope with a stressful situation and to rate their use on a 4-point Likert scale (1= never; 5= always).

    Measured: Coping strategies are assessed at the first psychological consult since beginning of the study, indipendently from follow up time. Is a single assessment for every partecipant.

  3. coping strategies type_9-11

    Children's Coping Strategies Checklist-Revision1 (CCSC-R1) is a self report questionnaire that identify children's coping strategies to manage stress. It contains 54 items organized in 13 subscales, loading five dimensions: problem-focused coping and positive cognitive restructuring, distraction coping strategies, avoidance coping strategies, and support-seeking strategies. Both problem-focused coping and positive cognitive restructuring are considered dimensions of active coping. Children request to assess how frequently they usually adopt the coping strategies described in the item on a 4-point Likert scale (1= never; 5= always).For each scale and subscale, the score is the mean of scores of the scale items.

    Measured: Coping strategies are assessed at the first psychological consult since beginning of the study, indipendently from follow up time. Is a single assessment for every partecipant.

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. demographic data

    The questionnaire includes a section devoted to demographics (i.e., gender, present age, age at the time of diagnosis, nationality, etc.) and to clinical data (eg. type of disease, treatments, other traumatic events, etc.). Only the parents' version contains the section related to personal and clinical data. An additional section aims to explore the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of child, adolescents and parents in the main moments of the patient's disease (communication of diagnosis, treatment, follow-up) through open and closed questions.

    Data are qualitative, no scoring, and will be helpful for cathegorization during statistical analyses.

    Measured: Both patients and parents fill out the ad-hoc questionnaire at the first psychological consult since beginning of the study, indipendently from follow up time. Is a single assessment for every partecipant.

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Jun 2021
  2. Study start19 Jan 2021
  3. Primary completion15 Mar 2024
  4. Study completion31 Oct 2024

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Cross-sectional
Enrolment
50 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04908020
Sponsor's protocol ID
FOLLOWUP_PTSD
Status last verified
Feb 2025
First submitted
10 Feb 2021
Last updated
17 Feb 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided: Decision has to be shared with the Clinical Trial Office of the Hospital

Publications

  • Bremner JD. Acute and chronic responses to psychological trauma: where do we go from here? Am J Psychiatry. 1999 Mar;156(3):349-51. doi: 10.1176/ajp.156.3.349. No abstract available.

    PubMed 10080546
  • Briere J, Kaltman S, Green BL. Accumulated childhood trauma and symptom complexity. J Trauma Stress. 2008 Apr;21(2):223-6. doi: 10.1002/jts.20317.

    PubMed 18404627
  • Cloitre M, Stolbach BC, Herman JL, van der Kolk B, Pynoos R, Wang J, Petkova E. A developmental approach to complex PTSD: childhood and adult cumulative trauma as predictors of symptom complexity. J Trauma Stress. 2009 Oct;22(5):399-408. doi: 10.1002/jts.20444. Epub 2009 Sep 30.

    PubMed 19795402
  • Compas BE, Connor-Smith JK, Saltzman H, Thomsen AH, Wadsworth ME. Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence: problems, progress, and potential in theory and research. Psychol Bull. 2001 Jan;127(1):87-127.

    PubMed 11271757
  • Duran B. Posttraumatic growth as experienced by childhood cancer survivors and their families: a narrative synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research. J Pediatr Oncol Nurs. 2013 Jul-Aug;30(4):179-97. doi: 10.1177/1043454213487433. Epub 2013 May 8.

    PubMed 23657991
  • Kangas M. DSM-5 Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders: Implications for Screening for Cancer-Related Stress. Front Psychiatry. 2013 Oct 2;4:122. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00122. No abstract available.

    PubMed 24106482
  • Koutna V, Jelinek M, Blatny M, Kepak T. Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in Childhood Cancer Survivors. Cancers (Basel). 2017 Mar 16;9(3):26. doi: 10.3390/cancers9030026.

    PubMed 28300764
  • Billings AG, Moos RH. The role of coping responses and social resources in attenuating the stress of life events. J Behav Med. 1981 Jun;4(2):139-57. doi: 10.1007/BF00844267.

    PubMed 7321033
  • Phipps S, Long A, Hudson M, Rai SN. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress in children with cancer and their parents: effects of informant and time from diagnosis. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2005 Dec;45(7):952-9. doi: 10.1002/pbc.20373.

    PubMed 15806541
  • Phipps S, Steele R. Repressive adaptive style in children with chronic illness. Psychosom Med. 2002 Jan-Feb;64(1):34-42. doi: 10.1097/00006842-200201000-00006.

    PubMed 11818584
  • Scrignaro M, Barni S, Magrin ME. The combined contribution of social support and coping strategies in predicting post-traumatic growth: a longitudinal study on cancer patients. Psychooncology. 2011 Aug;20(8):823-31. doi: 10.1002/pon.1782. Epub 2010 Jun 3.

    PubMed 20878872
  • Sposito AM, Silva-Rodrigues FM, Sparapani Vde C, Pfeifer LI, de Lima RA, Nascimento LC. Coping strategies used by hospitalized children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2015 Mar;47(2):143-51. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12126. Epub 2015 Jan 31.

    PubMed 25639151
  • Tremolada M, Bonichini S, Basso G, Pillon M. Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and Post-traumatic Growth in 223 Childhood Cancer Survivors: Predictive Risk Factors. Front Psychol. 2016 Feb 29;7:287. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00287. eCollection 2016.

    PubMed 26973578
  • Zeltzer LK, Recklitis C, Buchbinder D, Zebrack B, Casillas J, Tsao JC, Lu Q, Krull K. Psychological status in childhood cancer survivors: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. J Clin Oncol. 2009 May 10;27(14):2396-404. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.21.1433. Epub 2009 Mar 2.

    PubMed 19255309

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Pediatric Cancer and Follow-up Care, run by Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS at 1 site in Italy.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Feb 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Italy. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

post traumatic stress symptoms (time frame: Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms are assessed at the first psychological consult since beginning of the study, indipendently from follow up time. Is a single assessment for every partecipant.). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04908020, which also lists 14 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Feb 2025.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in