Efficacy of a support intervention designed to improve parents' communication with children dealing with parental cancer: a randomized pilot trial

Objective: Cancer-related communication is critical for parents' and children's adaptation to the disease. This randomized pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a 4-session intervention designed to improve parents' communication.

Methods: A 4-session intervention was developed to aid parents to support their children through more open/adapted communication. Sixty-six parents were assigned randomly to informational booklet with and without 4-session support intervention arms. Parents' communication self-efficacy, communication behaviors, communication difficulties, knowledge about age-appropriate communication, theoretical knowledge about concerns of children, parenting concerns, and distress were assessed by questionnaires at baseline and post-interventions. Multivariate analyses of variance were performed to compare data between and within groups over time.

Results: The intervention attrition rate was 6%. Data from 60 participants were included in analyses. Parents in the informational booklet with 4-session support group increased their communication self-efficacy (F = 4.5, p = 0.04), reduced communication difficulties (F = 4.0, p = 0.05), and increased their knowledge about how to communicate (F = 4.8, p = 0.03).

Conclusion: The results indicate that the 4-session intervention is acceptable, and shows preliminary evidence of efficacy.

Practice implications: A short support intervention associated with an informational booklet may be useful for parents wishing to improve their communication with their children.