Parent FORT
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Dr. Sophie Lebel is a clinical health psychologist with a Ph.D. from Université de Montréal, Québec.
Her research interests focus on cancer survivors and their families, with a focus on developing and testing questionnaires, models, and interventions for fear of cancer recurrence, sexuality, fatigue, stigma, and dyadic adjustment.
Dr. Lebel’s laboratory is currently developing the fear of recurrence therapy (FORT) intervention for parents of child cancer survivors. With the guidance of a parent advisory, Dr. Lebel’s team has adapted both the FORT therapist and patient manuals to meet the needs of parents.
Following a successful usability study, Dr. Lebel’s team is moving forward with a pilot study of Parent-FORT using a randomized control trial design. This project is one of the first to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a fear of recurrence intervention for parents of childhood cancer survivors.
This will help bridge an important gap in bringing evidence-based care to parents who have never been offered help before for their fear of cancer recurrence.
Are you a parent interested in participating in Parent FORT?
Inclusion Criteria
Parent of a childhood cancer survivor (less than 18) who is at least 1 month post-treatment
Score of > 13 of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (will be assessed prior to involvement)
Access to computer and internet
Living in Canada
*Participants will be selected on a first come, first serve basis
To get involved, please contact the study coordinator Celeste Holy, at choly@uottawa.ca
FAQs
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Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is the fear, worry, or concern that cancer may come back or progress. We recognize that you may have multiple, varying, and unique worries, such as late effects, secondary cancers, schooling, and general health.
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1) parent (or primary caregiver) caring for a childhood cancer survivor (<18 years of age) of any type of cancer type
2) at least 1 months from the completion of active treatment, and has not had a recurrence of their cancer. Parents of children who underwent BMT but are not experiencing active GVHD can participate
4) a score of 13 or greater on the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form-Parent version (FCRI-SF-P), which will be assessed during an initial interview
5) access to a computer and internet connection
6) living in Canada
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Interested parents will be randomly assigned to receive the intervention immediately, or will be placed on a 3-month waitlist control group.
Participation will consist of weekly online group therapy sessions for 2 hours for 7 weeks, during which you will be asked to participate in activities, participate in group discussions, and complete homework.
Participants will also be asked to complete a 20-minute questionnaire package before starting the therapy, immediately after the last session, and 3 months later. The questionnaires will assess fear of cancer recurrence, the psychological impact of cancer, uncertainty, coping, and quality of life.
Finally, an exit interview will be conducted with all participants to better understand their experience.
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Participants will be compensated $20 for each of the three questionnaires.
By participating in this research, parents may experience a decrease in their fear of cancer recurrence, their cancer-specific distress, their uncertainty in illness, and an increase in their quality of life and their coping.
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Interested participants are encouraged to email the research coordinator, Celeste Holy, at choly@uottawa.ca.
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Dr. Sophie Lebel
Study Principal Investigator
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Celeste Holy
Research Coordinator
