Psychospiritual support for people with advanced cancer and their family caregivers
Psycho-Spiritual Management for Patients with Advanced Cancer and their Family Caregivers
A four-session family-focused meditation program delivered by videoconference aims to help people with advanced cancer and their family caregivers cope with depression and spiritual distress.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168810 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and a family caregiver would join a study where dyads are randomly assigned to a four-session family-focused meditation program, a usual-care group, or a matched social-support program. Sessions are delivered by videoconference so you can join from home. The team will measure mood, spiritual well-being, and how distress is shared between patients and caregivers before and after the program. The study will recruit families from multiple hospitals, including MD Anderson in Houston, to include diverse participants.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with advanced or metastatic cancer who have a willing family caregiver and can participate in videoconference sessions are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without a willing caregiver, those with early-stage cancer, or those unable to use videoconferencing may not benefit from this specific program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce depressive and spiritual distress for both patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers.
How similar studies have performed: Prior pilot work and other positive-psychology approaches show promise, but fully powered dyadic palliative interventions like this are still limited.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Milbury, Kathrin — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Milbury, Kathrin
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 below.