Effects of a Storybook About New Leukemia Diagnosis Versus Standard Child Life Intervention on Parental Stress: a Pilot Randomized Controlled Study
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to measure the effects of using a storybook versus standard child life intervention with parents of children newly diagnosed with leukemia on parental stress. The main questions it aims to answer are: * What effect will the storybook have on parent/legal guardian stress at three timepoints: baseline, discharge, and follow up? * Will this storybook impact parent/legal guardian comfort levels and improve their child's understanding? Participants will be asked to complete surveys at three timepoints, prior to and following child life intervention and about 3.5 months later. During child life interventions, participants will receive resources and support to explain leukemia to their school aged, 3-16-year-old, child (patient or sibling). Researchers will compare Intervention and Control Groups to see if parental stress is lower in those who received the storybook in addition to the standard child life intervention versus the standard child life intervention alone.
Description
Research Design: This is a pilot randomized controlled study. Control Group will receive the standard child life care and interventions following a new leukemia diagnosis. This includes meeting one of the primary hematology oncology inpatient certified child life specialists (CCLS) to discuss patient/sibling understanding, language used, family experiences or stressors, and family goals when disclosure information about the diagnosis. Interventions may include books about cancer, personalized learning stories, or interactive activities to explain leukemia, cancer, and chemotherapy. Interven…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 3+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Parents are approached and enrolled on the inpatient Hematology Oncology unit at CHLA, during the admission where their child received a new leukemia diagnosis. Inclusion Criteria: * Parent/Legal Guardian of a child a. who is school-aged (3-16 years old) with a new leukemia diagnosis b. with a new leukemia diagnosis who is not school-aged but is a sibling of a school-aged child (\<3 years or \>16 years old). * Parent/legal guardian is able to speak, read, and write English or Spanish, and give informed consent 3. Parent/legal guardian is over 18 years of age. Exclusion Criteria: * Their sc…
Interventions
- Behavioral"Who is Luke Eemia?" Storybook
Parents in this group will receive the "Who is Luke Eemia?" storybook, and will receive guidance from the child life specialist on how to utilize the storybook with their school-aged child. Parents in this study will complete surveys at three timepoints, these surveys include: (1) Comfort Survey (prior to child life intervention), (2) Discharge Survey and (3) Storybook Assessment survey to review the parent's impression of the storybook intervention tool (at the time of discharge, or about 1 week following the child life intervention), and the (4) Parenting Stress Index -4-Short Form (at baseline, at the time of the discharge survey, and about 3.5 months later).
Location
- Children's Hospital Los AngelesLos Angeles, California