Meaning-centered psychotherapy for Mexican people with advanced cancer
Official title: Trial of Meaning Centered Psychotherapy for Mexican Patients with Advanced Cancer
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11158861 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A culturally adapted meaning-centered therapy offered to Mexican patients with advanced cancer to ease depression, anxiety, and worries about the future.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $665,389 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH137857-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11158861 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in Mexico with advanced cancer who are receiving care at or near INCan and who are experiencing mood symptoms or worries about the future would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without advanced cancer, those who cannot attend sessions in Mexico or who do not speak Spanish, are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would be offered a version of Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy that was adapted for Spanish-speaking patients to help with feelings of meaning, peace, and purpose near the end of life. The project is a collaboration between Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the National Mexican Cancer Institute (INCan) and will deliver the therapy through INCan's psycho-oncology service. The team will use measures of mood, spiritual concerns, and quality of life to see how patients respond to the therapy. This builds on a pilot showing the approach is feasible in Spanish-speaking Latino patients but has not yet been tested specifically in Mexican cancer patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the therapy could reduce depression and existential distress and improve quality of life for Mexican patients with advanced cancer.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot of culturally adapted Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy in Spanish-speaking Latinos showed feasibility and promising results, but it has not yet been tested specifically in Mexican patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Costas-Muniz, Rosario — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Costas-Muniz, Rosario
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Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy for Mexican Patients with Advanced Cancer
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.