PRISM for Depression and Anxiety in Young Adults With Cancer (PRISM)

April 20, 2026 updated by: Samantha Bento, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Treatment Development Study of the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) Intervention for Depression and Anxiety in Young Adults With Cancer

This research study is being done to test the feasibility of an existing supportive program (PRISM) to address psychological symptoms (i.e., depressive and anxiety symptoms) that young adult participants diagnosed with cancer or desmoid tumor may experience.

The name of the intervention used in this research study is:

-Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) Program

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This research study is being done to test the initial feasibility and acceptability of a six-session, skills-based resilience coaching intervention, Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM; Rosenberg et al., 2018; Rosenberg et al., 2021), that targets four resilience resources (stress management, goal setting, cognitive reframing, and meaning-making) for young adult patients (18-30 years old) with cancer or desmoid tumor who are treated with curative intent and who report moderate depressive and/or anxiety symptoms.

The research study procedures include screening for eligibility, completing one diagnostic assessment of depressive and anxiety symptoms, pre-intervention and post-intervention questionnaires, completion of the six-session PRISM intervention, and a semi-structured exit interview about the experience with the PRISM intervention.

Participation in this research study is expected to last approximately 2 to 3 months.

It is expected that up to 15 young adults with cancer (i.e., participants) and up to a total of 15 support persons (i.e., friends or family members who participants will have an option to invite for the final session of the intervention) will take part in this research study.

The Hans and Mavis Lopater Foundation is funding this research study by providing philanthropic support.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
13

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Brighton, Massachusetts, United States, 02135
        • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria for Participants:

  1. 18-39 years of age
  2. Speak and comprehend English sufficiently to be able to complete study procedures and participate in the program in English*
  3. Have been diagnosed with cancer or desmoid tumor at least 6 or more weeks ago
  4. Currently receiving treatment or has completed treatment for cancer or desmoid tumor no more than 6 months ago
  5. Score 10-24 (with question #9 not endorsed, or 0) on the PHQ-9 (Kroenke et al., 1999) or/and score 10-21 on the GAD-7 (Spitzer et al., 2006) during the initial screening assessment.

Participant Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Adults unable to consent, individuals who are not yet adults (age <18), pregnant women, and prisoners.
  2. Individuals who score less than 10 on both PHQ-9 and GAD-7.
  3. Individuals who are diagnosed with cancer less than 6 weeks at the time of screening (we will be able to approach them again after 6 weeks since diagnosis has passed), or those who completed treatment more than 6 months ago will also be ineligible for this study; they will be offered resources for support, if desired.

5) Individuals who report any suicidality (ideation, plan, and/or intent) on PHQ-9 screen (i.e., endorse anything more than 0 for question #9) at the time of the eligibility screening will also be excluded from the current study, and the appropriate safety measures and/or referral to a mental health provider will be made (see section 14.1 for more details on the procedure).

Inclusion Criteria for Support Person:

-≥ 18 years of age

-A friend or family member invited by the study participant to join the 6th PRISM session

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: PRISM Program

Participants will be enrolled and will complete study procedures as follows:

  • Baseline visit with questionnaires.
  • 6 weekly or bi-weekly remote or in-clinic, psychotherapy sessions with psychologist.
  • Final questionnaires and post-study exit interview
Behavioral: Promoting Resilience in Stress Management Program
Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM; Rosenberg et al., 2018; Rosenberg et al., 2021) is is an evidence-based skills-based resilience intervention. In the current study, PRISM sessions with be facilitated by a trained mental health provider to equip participants with skills for coping with anxiety, low mood, and adjustment to cancer diagnosis and to target four resilience resources (i.e., stress management, goal setting, cognitive reframing, and meaning-making). Sessions will be conducted by phone or Zoom, a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform. The optional mPRISM phone application includes 6 modules to practice PRISM skills and is available for iOS/Android.
Other Names:
  • PRISM Program

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Rate of PRISM Intervention Completion
Time Frame: Up to 12 weeks
Feasibility is defined as 70% of PRISM sessions are completed by participants who start the study.
Up to 12 weeks
Rate of Study Assessment Completion
Time Frame: Up to 12 weeks
Study feasibility is defined as 70% of all study assessments are completed by participants who complete PRISM sessions.
Up to 12 weeks
Participant Satisfaction
Time Frame: At final intervention session, up to 6 weeks
Acceptability of the PRISM intervention will be determined by responses on semi-structured exit interviews using descriptive statistics and scores on the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire- (CSQ-8), an 8-item measuring a participant's opinions and assessment of the intervention. Total scores range from 8 to 32 with a higher number indicating greater satisfaction.
At final intervention session, up to 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
mPRISM Phone Application Usage
Time Frame: Up to 12 weeks
The feasibility of the mPRISM phone application as a tool to practice PRISM skills, as evidenced by the participant usage metrics.
Up to 12 weeks
Questionnaires
Time Frame: Up to 12 weeks
The feasibility of using the assessment questionnaires in the current study (e.g., length, administration)
Up to 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Samantha Bento, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Study Director: Greta J Khanna, PhD, MA, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 6, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
February 1, 2026

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 9, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 9, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 16, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 21, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 20, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 24-147

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The Dana-Farber / Harvard Cancer Center encourages and supports the responsible and ethical sharing of data from clinical trials. De-identified participant data from the final research dataset used in the published manuscript may only be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement. Requests may be directed to: [contact information for Sponsor Investigator or designee]. The protocol and statistical analysis plan will be made available on Clinicaltrials.gov only as required by federal regulation or as a condition of awards and agreements supporting the research.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data can be shared no earlier than 1 year following the date of publication

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Contact the Belfer Office for Dana-Farber Innovations (BODFI) at innovation@dfci.harvard.edu

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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