Innovations in the Treatment of Sexual Health Post Prostate Cancer Treatment: Comparing Mindfulness vs. CBT (INTROSPPECT)

Innovations in the Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction and Couple Intimacy After Prostate Cancer: A Randomized Trial of Mindfulness Versus Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Up to 90% of men experience sexual difficulties after receiving treatment for prostate cancer (PC), which can negatively affect their intimate relationships and overall quality of life. In this randomized clinical trial, the investigators will assess and compare two evidence-based treatments, mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for couples with sexual complaints following PC treatment to controls who will receive no intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Prostatic Neoplasms; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological; Prostate Cancer; Sexual Dysfunction Male; Relationships, Marital
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT); Behavioral: Mindfulness-Based Therapy

Detailed Description

This randomized clinical trial is designed to assess and compare efficacy of two treatment manuals for couples with sexual difficulties secondary to PC treatment: mindfulness-based therapy and CBT. A third arm, where couples receive no intervention will act as a control group. Those randomized to the "control" group will have the opportunity to be randomized to one of the treatment groups following their third and final questionnaire if they wish.

Men and their partners will be invited to participate through the Vancouver Prostate Centre's Prostate Cancer Supportive Care Program (PCSC) at Vancouver General Hospital.

Eligible couples will be randomized to either: 4 consecutive weeks of mindfulness-based therapy, CBT, or no intervention (4-6 couples in each treatment group at a time). All participants will complete an online questionnaire package to assess primary, secondary, and tertiary outcomes at the time of study enrollment or baseline (Time 1). All participants will be invited to complete a Time 2 questionnaire once approximately 6 weeks after they complete the Time 1 questionnaire (for couples randomized to the treatment arms, this will be immediately post-treatment). Finally, all participants will be invited to complete the Time 3 follow up questionnaire 6 months after they complete the Time 2 (post-treatment) questionnaire.

Endpoints will assess effects on intimacy and overall Quality of Life. Additional endpoints of other factors affecting improvement (i.e., moderators like personality and treatment adherence) will be assessed. The investigators predict improvements in both mindfulness-based and cognitive behavioural therapy treatments; moderators will provide insights into which participants benefit most from each treatment arm.

Moreover, in order to improve understanding of the lived experience of patients who take part in the treatment groups or control arm, this study will invite all participants to take part in an exit interview after their Time 2 (post-treatment) questionnaire is completed. A research team member who was not a treatment facilitator will conduct the exit interviews. This information will then be transcribed and used for qualitative data analyses.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 100
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • British Columbia
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 1M9
      • Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Centre -- Vancouver General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 19 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Currently in a relationship that has lasted longer than 1 year
• Both members of the couple are at least 19 years of age or older
• (At least) one member of the couple has a history of prostate cancer diagnosis
• The same member of the couple underwent treatment (e.g., radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy, Androgen Deprivation Therapy) for their prostate cancer or is on active surveillance
• The member of the couple who underwent treatment for prostate cancer is experiencing distress related to his current level of intimacy/sexual well-being
• Both members of the couple are willing and able to comply with all study procedures and be available for the duration of the study. Commitment includes a total of 5.5 hours per week in sessions and daily homework over the 4-week period of the treatment program for those randomized to receive treatment
• Both members of the couple are fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have a current health condition (e.g., severe cardiovascular health problems, unmanaged diabetes mellitus), physical disability and/or a significant, unmanaged major mental illness (e.g., unmanaged bipolar disorder, psychosis) that would interfere with self- or partnered-sexual activities, or the individual's ability to attend group sessions or complete home assignments

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT); Treatment will consist of a 4-week group lead by a trained clinician. Sessions are 2 hours in length and take place in consecutive weeks, with daily homework recommended between sessions.	Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT); Sessions consist of CBT tools as well as sex therapy techniques and education. The CBT treatment was adapted from the mindfulness-based treatment, but all mentions of mindfulness have been replaced with CBT principles. The therapeutic content presented in this treatment arm is manualized.
Experimental: Mindfulness-Based Therapy; Treatment will consist of a 4-week group lead by a trained clinician. Sessions are 2 hours in length and take place in consecutive weeks, with daily homework recommended between sessions.	Behavioral: Mindfulness-Based Therapy; The mindfulness-based treatment was developed based on pre-existing mindfulness-based cognitive therapy treatment groups for sexual dysfunction developed by Dr. Lori Brotto at the University of British Columbia Sexual Health Laboratory, mindfulness in Sex therapy and Intimate Relationships (MSIR) treatment group developed by Kocsis and Newbury-Helps (2016), and expert input. Sessions consist of mindfulness-based training as well as sex therapy techniques and education. The therapeutic content presented in this treatment arm is manualized.
No Intervention: Control - Usual Care; Participants who are randomized to the control group will not receive mindfulness or CBT treatment. They will proceed with the course of treatment they were receiving prior to enrollment in the study. As resources for couples dealing with changes to their sexual lives after prostate cancer are limited, it is anticipated that the majority of these patients will have no treatment targeting sexual intimacy during the 6-week period between completing the first and second questionnaire. Those randomized to the "control" group will have the opportunity to be randomized to one of the treatment groups following their third and final questionnaire if they wish. In this case, they will be issued an additional participant ID within one of the treatment groups.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in relationship satisfaction	Adapted dyadic adjustment scale (A-DAS). The A-DAS is a validated, 7-item measure that assesses relationship adjustment. Total scores range from 0-36 with higher scores indicating greater dyadic adjustment.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in relationship satisfaction	Adapted dyadic adjustment scale (A-DAS). The A-DAS is a validated, 7-item measure that assesses relationship adjustment. Total scores range from 0-36 with higher scores indicating greater dyadic adjustment.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)
Change in sexual satisfaction/distress	Female sexual distress scale - revised (FSDS-R). The FSDS-R is a 13-item measure that assesses sexual distress. Although named for its use with women, this measure has been validated as a measure of sexual distress in women and men. Each item is rated on a scale of 0-4. The total score is a summation, ranging from 0 to 52, and provides a measure of sexual distress in which higher scores represent higher levels of sexual distress.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in sexual satisfaction/distress	Female sexual distress scale - revised (FSDS-R). The FSDS-R is a 13-item measure that assesses sexual distress. Although named for its use with women, this measure has been validated as a measure of sexual distress in women and men. Each item is rated on a scale of 0-4. The total score is a summation, ranging from 0 to 52, and provides a measure of sexual distress in which higher scores represent higher levels of sexual distress.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)
Change in sexual functioning (one of three different questionnaires depending on the participant's demographics)	International Index of Erectile Functioning (IIEF) is a 15-item self-reported scale of men's sexual functioning. The scale has five domains: Erectile Function, Intercourse Satisfaction; Orgasmic Function, Overall Satisfaction, and Sexual Desire with ranges 1-30, 0-15, 0-10, 2-10, and 2-10 respectively. Total scores (sum) range from 5-75. Lower domain and total scores denote lower sexual function. OR International Index of Erectile Functioning for Men who have sex with men (IIEF-MSM) is a 22-item measure of sexual function. Total scores (sum) range from 0-95; lower scores indicate lower sexual function. OR Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) is a 19-item measure of self-reported sexual dysfunction in women. The scale includes six domains with the following ranges: 1.2-6 for desire; 0-6 for arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and pain; and 0.8-6 satisfaction. Total scores (sum) range from 2 to 36. Lower domain and total scores indicate lower sexual functioning.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in sexual functioning (one of three different questionnaires depending on the participant's demographics)	International Index of Erectile Functioning (IIEF) is a 15-item self-reported scale of men's sexual functioning. The scale has five domains: Erectile Function, Intercourse Satisfaction; Orgasmic Function, Overall Satisfaction, and Sexual Desire with ranges 1-30, 0-15, 0-10, 2-10, and 2-10 respectively. Total scores (sum) range from 5-75. Lower domain and total scores denote lower sexual function. OR International Index of Erectile Functioning for Men who have sex with men (IIEF-MSM) is a 22-item measure of sexual function. Total scores (sum) range from 0-95; lower scores indicate lower sexual function. OR Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) is a 19-item measure of self-reported sexual dysfunction in women. The scale includes six domains with the following ranges: 1.2-6 for desire; 0-6 for arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and pain; and 0.8-6 satisfaction. Total scores (sum) range from 2 to 36. Lower domain and total scores indicate lower sexual functioning.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)
Change in sexual behaviours	Sexual activity scale. This is a questionnaire developed by the study lead that asks individuals to indicate whether they engaged in a range of sexual activities over 3 time-periods: (a) ever, (b) since their/their partner's prostate cancer surgery, and (c) in the past 4 weeks. There are 15 items on this scale which can be indicated over the three time periods mentioned previously. By tallying the categorical answers (yes or no), total scores can range from 0 to 45 with higher scores indicating greater sexual activity engaged. Subset scores at each time point range from 0-15 and indicate sexual activity in the same way as the total score.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in sexual behaviours	Sexual activity scale. This is a questionnaire developed by the study lead that asks individuals to indicate whether they engaged in a range of sexual activities over 3 time-periods: (a) ever, (b) since their/their partner's prostate cancer surgery, and (c) in the past 4 weeks. There are 15 items on this scale which can be indicated over the three time periods mentioned previously. By tallying the categorical answers (yes or no), total scores can range from 0 to 45 with higher scores indicating greater sexual activity engaged. Subset scores at each time point range from 0-15 and indicate sexual activity in the same way as the total score.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in psychological well-being	Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The HADS is a validated, 14-item measure of depression and anxiety. Total scores range from 0-42, composed of the sum of two sub-scales for anxiety and depression both ranging from 0-21. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety and/or depression symptoms.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in psychological well-being	Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The HADS is a validated, 14-item measure of depression and anxiety. Total scores range from 0-42, composed of the sum of two sub-scales for anxiety and depression both ranging from 0-21. Higher scores indicate higher levels of anxiety and/or depression symptoms.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)
Change in distress	Distress Thermometer. The distress thermometer is a single-item distress screening scale, which has been shown to be a valid measure of cancer-specific distress among prostate cancer patients and their partners. Participants indicate their current level of distress on an 11-point scale from 0-10 with 0 being no distress and 10 being extreme distress.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in distress	Distress Thermometer. The distress thermometer is a single-item distress screening scale, which has been shown to be a valid measure of cancer-specific distress among prostate cancer patients and their partners. Participants indicate their current level of distress on an 11-point scale from 0-10 with 0 being no distress and 10 being extreme distress.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)
Change in quality of life	World Health Organization Quality of Life - Brief Form (WHOQOL-BREF). This is a 26-item measure that assesses overall quality of life in four domains of physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environmental well-being. The four domains score with a range from 4-20 with higher scores representing higher quality of life in each domain.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in quality of life	World Health Organization Quality of Life - Brief Form (WHOQOL-BREF). This is a 26-item measure that assesses overall quality of life in four domains of physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environmental well-being. The four domains score with a range from 4-20 with higher scores representing higher quality of life in each domain.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Mindfulness	Five Facets of Mindfulness questionnaire; Short form, which is a validated, 24-item measure of different aspects of mindfulness. There are five subscales: non-reactivity, observing, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging. Sub-scale scores range from 5-25 for non-reactivity, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging, and 5-20 for observing. Higher scores indicate greater levels of the respective facet of mindfulness.	Baseline and Post Treatment (6 weeks)
Change in Mindfulness	Five Facets of Mindfulness questionnaire; Short form, which is a validated, 24-item measure of different aspects of mindfulness. There are five subscales: non-reactivity, observing, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging. Sub-scale scores range from 5-25 for non-reactivity, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging, and 5-20 for observing. Higher scores indicate greater levels of the respective facet of mindfulness.	Baseline and Follow Up (6 months)
Mindfulness (moderator)	Five Facets of Mindfulness questionnaire; Short form, which is a validated, 24-item measure of different aspects of mindfulness. There are five subscales: non-reactivity, observing, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging. Sub-scale scores range from 5-25 for non-reactivity, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging, and 5-20 for observing. Higher scores indicate greater levels of the respective facet of mindfulness.	Baseline
Mindfulness (moderator)	Five Facets of Mindfulness questionnaire; Short form, which is a validated, 24-item measure of different aspects of mindfulness. There are five subscales: non-reactivity, observing, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging. Sub-scale scores range from 5-25 for non-reactivity, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging, and 5-20 for observing. Higher scores indicate greater levels of the respective facet of mindfulness.	Post-Treatment (Week 6)
Mindfulness (moderator)	Five Facets of Mindfulness questionnaire; Short form, which is a validated, 24-item measure of different aspects of mindfulness. There are five subscales: non-reactivity, observing, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging. Sub-scale scores range from 5-25 for non-reactivity, acting with awareness, describing, and non-judging, and 5-20 for observing. Higher scores indicate greater levels of the respective facet of mindfulness.	Follow-Up (6 Months)
Expectations for treatment (moderator)	A 4-item questionnaire, designed for and used in a previous mindfulness-based treatment study for women with provoked vestibulodynia. Scores for each item range from 0-10, with higher scores indicating a greater expectation for the treatment to be effective and greater motivation to complete the treatment and assignments.	Baseline for Treatment Groups
Expectations for treatment (moderator)	A 4-item questionnaire, designed for and used in a previous mindfulness-based treatment study for women with provoked vestibulodynia. Scores for each item range from 0-10, with higher scores indicating a greater expectation for the treatment to be effective and greater motivation to complete the treatment and assignments.	Post-Treatment (Week 6)
Expectations for treatment (moderator)	A 4-item questionnaire, designed for and used in a previous mindfulness-based treatment study for women with provoked vestibulodynia. Scores for each item range from 0-10, with higher scores indicating a greater expectation for the treatment to be effective and greater motivation to complete the treatment and assignments.	Follow-Up (6 Months) for Treatment Groups
Therapeutic Skills Practice (moderator)	This is a questionnaire designed by the experimenters to assess the amount that participants practice the skills taught in treatment daily. Participants will indicate the skills practiced each day, and number of minutes they spent practicing each skill. This will be expressed as total number of minutes or an average of minutes per day.	Week 1-4 for Treatment Groups
Therapeutic Skills Practice (moderator)	This is a questionnaire designed by the experimenters to assess the amount that participants practice the skills taught in treatment. Participants will indicate the skills practiced each day, and number of minutes they spent practicing each skill. This will be expressed as total number of minutes or an average of minutes per day.	Follow-Up (6 Months) for Treatment Groups
Big Five Inventory-10 (moderator)	Big Five Inventory-10. An adapted, brief 10-item measure of personality characteristics. Scores range from 2-10 on the five personality traits of openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Higher scores indicate higher levels of the respective trait.	Baseline
Pre-treatment sexual functioning (moderator)	This is an experimenter derived questionnaire asking participants to indicate if they have a history of sexual dysfunction that preceded their own/their partner's prostate cancer treatments. Items are scored on a range from 0-5, with higher scores denoting greater sexual dysfunction. Total number of items varies as participants are able to specify more dysfunction symptoms.	Baseline
Time elapsed since treatment (moderator)	This measure will review date of prostate cancer diagnosis and the time elapsed from treatment to enrollment. This will be reviewed at 6 Months to capture any changes in treatment.	Baseline and Follow-Up (6 Months)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of British Columbia
• Collaborators: Vancouver Prostate Centre

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Vancouver Prostate Centre Website
• University of British Columbia Sexual Health Lab Website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 29, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): November 30, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 1, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 1, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): December 7, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 27, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 26, 2021
• Last Verified: April 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Mindfulness; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy; Group Therapy; Psychological Treatment; Intimacy; Couples Therapy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neoplasms; Urogenital Neoplasms; Neoplasms by Site; Genital Neoplasms, Male; Prostatic Diseases; Prostatic Neoplasms; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological
• Other Study ID Numbers: H17-02247; D2017-1893 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Movember Discovery Grant/Prostate Cancer Canada)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No