Couplelinks.ca - An Online Intervention for Couples Affected by Breast Cancer

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) at or before the age of 50 experience more distress and poorer quality of life than women diagnosed later in life. Although adequate spousal support is a protective factor for women with BC, spouses are often unprepared to handle the myriad practical and emotional demands posed by the illness. Furthermore, despite the growing number of recommendations for couple interventions in relation to BC, traditional counselling approaches may fail to meet the needs of young couples who have unique concerns and tight constraints on their time. The proposed project addresses the void in the psycho-social support available to young couples via an innovative, online psychoeducational intervention tailored specifically to their needs.

Detailed Description
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Couplelinks.ca is a custom-designed website offering a professionally facilitated, couple-centred intervention that entails informational, experiential, and interactive components. Six Dyadic Learning Modules (DLM) form the core of the program and are undertaken on a weekly basis. A funded pilot study examining the feasibility and benefit of Couplelinks.ca utilized a non-randomized, pre-post test design to assess the process and outcomes of the intervention. Qualitative feedback also informed the evaluation. Preliminary findings were promising and provided justification for further evaluation of the program's effectiveness. The current study is the next logical step: a larger-scale Phase III study to determine whether this BC-specific, relationship-enhancement program leads to improved relationship and psychological outcomes for young couples affected by BC. It is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing level of distress and dyadic adjustment in couples who have participated in the Couplelinks.ca educational program to those who have not participated and were instead put on a wait-list for participation.

Official Title
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A Randomized Controlled Trials of Couplelinks.ca: The First Online Couples Intervention for Young Women Dealing With Breast Cancer and Their Male Partners

Conditions
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Anxiety, Distress, Breast Cancer, Depression

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Couplelinks.ca website


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: couples where woman has received a diagnosis of nonmetastatic breast carcinoma; diagnosis was within the last 36 months; woman is age less than or equal to 50 at age of diagnosis; completed or are nearing the end of active treatment; couples must be in a committed, heterosexual relationship; fluent in English with the ability to read and write in English. Exclusion Criteria: non-heterosexual couples; women older than 50; previous diagnosis of moderate to severe psychological problems that may interfere with capacity to benefit from the intervention; couples who plan to participate in couple counselling during the 5-month study duration.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 53 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Couplelinks.ca Intervention<br>Intervention arm - Couple participates in the Couplelinks.ca program. | Behavioral: Couplelinks.ca website<br>* Participation in the Couplelinks.ca program, an online intervention.<br>* Other names: Couplelinks.ca program;|
| No Intervention: No Intervention<br>Couple is waitlisted for participation in the Couplelinks.ca program. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised Dyadic Adjustment Survey RDAS | The Revised Dyadic Adjustment Survey (RDAS) is a brief version of the 33 question Dyadic Adjustment Survey that assesses relationship adjustment. | T0= 0 weeks, T1= 8 weeks, T3= 3 months | 
| Dyadic Coping | Dyadic Coping assesses the degree to which partners feel that their coping efforts are reciprocal | T0= 0 weeks, T1= 8 weeks, T3= 3 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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breast neoplasm, breast cancer, behavioral intervention, online support, relationship distress, dyadic coping