Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28601957›Full record

Trial reportQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2018

Examining the effect of peer helping in a coping skills intervention: a randomized controlled trial for advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients and their family caregivers.

Catherine E Mosher, Ekin Secinti, Shelley A Johns, Bert H O'Neil, Paul R Helft, Safi Shahda, Shadia I Jalal, Victoria L Champion

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. Recommendations for spiritual care in cancer patients: a clinical practice guideline for oncology nurses in Iran.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020
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  12. Non-pharmacological interventions for informal cancer caregivers: a JBI scoping review and gap analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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  18. Interventions to support spirituality among adults with cancer: a scoping review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Catherine E MosherDepartment of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 124, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA. cemosher@iupui.edu.
Ekin SecintiDepartment of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 North Blackford Street, LD 124, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Shelley A JohnsCenter for Health Services Research, Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1101 W. 10th Street, RF-226, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Bert H O'NeilDepartment of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana Cancer Pavilion, 535 Barnhill Drive, Room 473, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Paul R HelftDepartment of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana Cancer Pavilion, 535 Barnhill Drive, Room 473, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Safi ShahdaDepartment of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana Cancer Pavilion, 535 Barnhill Drive, Room 473, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Shadia I JalalDepartment of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana Cancer Pavilion, 535 Barnhill Drive, Room 473, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Victoria L ChampionIndiana University School of Nursing, 1111 Middle Drive, NU 340G, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis · USIndiana University School of Medicine

Funding

Telephone Symptom Management for Advanced Lung Cancer Patients and CaregiversK07CA168883 · NCI · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI MOSHER, CATHERINE E · 2013 to 2017
$682k
Research and Training for Behavioral Oncology InterventionsK05CA175048 · NCI · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · PI CHAMPION, VICTORIA LEE · 2014 to 2018
$484k
NCI NIH HHS K05 CA175048NCI NIH HHS K05CA175048NCI NIH HHS K07 CA168883NCI NIH HHS K07CA168883
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAt the end of life, spiritual well-being is a central aspect of quality of life for many patients and their family caregivers. A prevalent spiritual value in advanced cancer patients is the need to actively give. To address this need, the current randomized trial examined whether adding a peer helping component to a coping skills intervention leads to improved meaning in life and peace for advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients and their caregivers. Feasibility and acceptability outcomes were also assessed.

methodsAdvanced gastrointestinal cancer patients and caregivers (n = 50 dyads) were randomly assigned to a 5-session, telephone-based coping skills intervention or a peer helping + coping skills intervention. One or both dyad members had moderate-severe distress. Peer helping involved contributing to handouts on coping skills for other families coping with cancer. Patients and caregivers completed measures of meaning in life/peace, fatigue, psychological symptoms, coping self-efficacy, and emotional support. Patient pain and caregiver burden were also assessed.

resultsSmall effects in favor of the coping skills group were found regarding meaning in life/peace at 1 and 5 weeks post-intervention. Other outcomes did not vary as a function of group assignment, with both groups showing small decreases in patient and caregiver fatigue and caregiver distress and burden. High recruitment and retention rates supported feasibility, and high participant satisfaction ratings supported acceptability.

conclusionsAlthough a telephone-based intervention is feasible and acceptable for this population, peer helping in the context of a coping skills intervention does not enhance spiritual well-being relative to coping skills alone.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PsychologicalCaregiversFemaleGastrointestinal NeoplasmsHumansMaleMiddle AgedPeer GroupQuality of LifeSpiritualityDistressFamily caregiversGastrointestinal cancerPeer helpingPsychosocial interventionsSpiritual well-being

Identifiers

PMID28601957
PMCPMC5723567
OpenAlexW2621416026

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.