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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00581880

Measuring Hope and Hopelessness in Cancer

The purpose of this study is to develop an accurate and useful way of measuring patients' thoughts and feelings about hope and hopelessness as they relate to their illness. Doctors and psychologists from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Calvary Hospital, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and Fordham University are working together to design a new measure. Findings from this research will help us study the nature of illness and develop improved methods of diagnosis and treatment. We hope what we learn from you will help us learn more about how to care better for patients with cancer and other severe illnesses.

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Key information

Conditions

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

New York, 10065, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 years of age or older.
  • Patients who are able to understand verbal and written English.
  • Diagnosis of cancer.
  • Patients with advanced cancer receiving ambulatory or inpatient care at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Patients at Calvary Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre admitted for palliative care will also be eligible for participation in this study

Exclusion criteria

  • The presence of a psychotic mental disorder (e.g., Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizo-affective illness, psychosis due to substance abuse) as indicated in medical chart.
  • Cognitive impairment so severe (i.e., Mini-Mental State exam score of less than 20) that, in the opinion of the Principal Investigator or Project Coordinator, would interfere with a patient's ability to give informed consent for research.

Treatment and study plan

Questionnaires

Behavioral

A battery of questionnaires concerning your thoughts, opinions, and attitudes about your illness and outlook on life. In addition, we will ask to provide some background information about you and your illness. The questions will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete. You fill out the questionnaire once only.

Primary outcomes

  1. To explore and better understand the construct of hopelessness as it applies to terminally ill cancer patients.

    Time frame: conclusion of study

  2. To develop a brief self-report measure of hopelessness grounded in the construct of hopelessness as it applies to terminally ill cancer patients.

    Time frame: conclusion of study

Secondary outcomes

  1. To establish the reliability and validity of this newly developed measure of hopelessness in a large sample of terminally ill cancer patients.

    Time frame: conclusion of study

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Other

Collaborators

  • Calvary Hospital, Bronx, NY
  • Fordham University
  • Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2005
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2009
First posted
Dec 28, 2007
Registry last updated
Jan 15, 2009

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.