Spiritual Therapy for Cancer

Overseen By RaeAnne Wiseman

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Disqualifiers: Non-oncology patients

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 8

Duration: 5 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This clinical trial tests the feasibility and effectiveness of a spiritual health intervention (Personal Archetypes Toward Healing Trial \[PATH\]) for improving spiritual, religious and existential distress in patients with cancer. Many patients with cancer find their diagnosis to elicit challenges to their sense of connection, meaning, and purpose. This distress can significantly impact their quality of life. However, spiritual care interventions are often overlooked. PATH builds on multiple theories and therapeutic practices such as role-playing, archetype psychology, cognitive theory, emotion regulation therapy, and dignity therapy. PATH sessions cover topics such as individuation, intrapersonal meaning and worth, intrapersonal distress and faith, interpersonal distress and faith, and transpersonal distress and faith. The PATH intervention may help cancer patients shift their perspectives and access new insights for working through their spiritual, religious and existential distress.

Who Is on the Research Team?

RaeAnne Wiseman

Principal Investigator

Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

Inclusion Criteria

Scores of 'Somewhat' or above on at least 1 item the Religious and Spiritual Struggles scale (RSS-5) (e.g., Somewhat = 3 on a 1-to-5 Likert scale)

English speaking

Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

Non-oncology Fred Hutch patients

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants attend 1 individual PATH session and 5 weekly group PATH workshop sessions

5 weeks

6 visits (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

7 weeks

2 visits (in-person)

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Spiritual Therapy

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Supportive care (PATH) Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Patients attend 1 individual PATH session with the interventionist on day 1 and then attend group PATH workshop sessions weekly for 5 sessions (days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35).

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials

583

Recruited

1,341,000+