Effect of the COVID-19 Public Health Crisis on the Mental Health and Physical Well-Being of Cancer Patients, the Coping With COVID Study

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Cell Neoplasm; Malignant Solid Neoplasm; COVID-19 Infection

Treatments: Other: Questionnaire Administration

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT04652505

2020-0451 (Other Identifier)

NCI-2020-06556 (Registry Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study determines how the threat of the coronavirus has affected the mental health and physical well-being of cancer patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic, and how they have coped with any related stress. Questionnaires that assess coping strategies and behaviors for decreasing disease transmission may help researchers create recommendations for future public health crises and pandemics.

Full description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

I. To determine how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis affected mental well-being in cancer patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To determine how the COVID-19 public health crisis affected physical well-being and substance use in cancer patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic.

II. To determine how patient coping strategies and levels of apathy affected mental and physical health symptoms and substance use during COVID-19 in patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic.

III. To determine the association of coping strategies and levels of apathy with proclivity to engage in health behaviors intended to decrease the transmission of the disease during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic.

OUTLINE:

Patients complete 3 questionnaires online over 15 minutes regarding coping strategies that may have been used, mental health and physical well-being in the past month, and if they have been following certain behaviors which the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended during the coronavirus pandemic, such as regular hand washing and social distancing.

Enrollment: 80 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Outpatients seen by providers of the psychiatric oncology clinic at least once between November 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020 and at least once between April 10, 2020 and June 10, 2020
• Speaking English as indicated in their medical chart

Exclusion criteria

• Patients who are pregnant as recorded in their medical chart
• Incarcerated
• With a recorded diagnosis of a formal thought disorder
• Unable to consent

Trial design

80 participants in 1 patient group

Observational (questionnaires)

Description:

Patients complete 3 questionnaires online over 15 minutes regarding coping strategies that may have been used, mental health and physical well-being in the past month, and if they have been following certain behaviors which the WHO has recommended during the coronavirus pandemic, such as regular hand washing and social distancing.

Treatment:

Other: Questionnaire Administration