Peer2Me: A Peer Supported Program for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients

Primary outcomes

1. Assessing post traumatic growth of mentors and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention

   The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) measures the extent to which patients have experienced positive changes regarding cancer. The questionnaire contains 21 items in the five dimensions: new opportunities, relationship with others, personal strength, appreciation of life, and spiritual change. Using a three-point Likert scale, patients indicate the extent to which the item responses apply. Item scores are summed to form a total score, with higher scores indicating higher posttraumatic growth.

2. Assessing Empathy of mentors and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention

   The Saarbrücken Personality Questionnaire on Empathy is the German adaptation of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. The SPF is a questionnaire for self-assessment of one's own empathic abilities and consists of 16 items that measure both the cognitive and the emotional dimension of empathy on four subscales: imagination, empathic distress, empathic sympathy, and perspective taking.

   A five-point Likert scale (1- never to 5- always) is used to assess the extent to which the statements are true.

3. Life satisfaction of mentors and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention

   The FLZ-M is a valid instrument that measures the subjective assessment of satisfaction in various areas of life. Life satisfaction is assessed using the two modules "general life satisfaction" and "satisfaction with health", each with eight items and one overall item. Subjective satisfaction and importance are assessed on a five-point Likert scale (0 = "dissatisfied" to 4 = "very satisfied").

4. Life satisfaction of mentees and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention

   The FLZ-M is a valid instrument that measures the subjective assessment of satisfaction in various areas of life. Life satisfaction is assessed using the two modules "general life satisfaction" and "satisfaction with health", each with eight items and one overall item. Subjective satisfaction and importance are assessed on a five-point Likert scale (0 = "dissatisfied" to 4 = "very satisfied").

5. Self-efficacy of mentees and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention

   The General Self-Efficacy Expectancy Scale is a self-assessment procedure with 10 items for assessing general optimistic self-convictions. It measures the expectation of subjective competence to cope with difficult situations such as cancer.

   A four-point Likert scale is used to ascertain the extent to which patients agree with the statements. The individual test score is calculated by summing up all ten items.

6. Coping of mentees and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention

   Self-efficacy in coping with cancer can be defined as the confidence of a cancer patient in his or her ability to develop adaptive coping behavior. The German version of the short form of the Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI-B-D) uses 14 items to describe coping behavior in the context of cancer. Patients estimate on a nine-point Likert scale how confident they are in performing certain behaviors. By summing all 14 item scores, a sum score is obtained, with high scores indicating high confidence in the ability to perform the coping behavior.

7. Anxiety of mentees and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention

   The Generalized Anxiety Scale measures symptoms of generalized anxiety disorders and the symptom severity of generalized anxiety on a four-point Likert scale using seven items. The individual item scores are summed to a total score, which can assume values between 0 and 21 points.

8. Depressive symptoms of mentees and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention

   The Patient Health Questionnaire measures depressive symptoms on a four-point Likert scale using nine items. The PHQ-9 can be evaluated both categorically and by summing up the item characteristics. The scale sum value can reach values between 1 and 27.

9. Social support of mentees and change

   Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention

   The Berlin Social Support Scales measure six dimensions of social support in a multidimensional approach: perceived social support, received social support, provided social support, need and search for social support, and protective cushioning in the sense of protecting others from stress.

10. Health literacy of mentees and change

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention

    The HLS-EU-Q16 measures health literacy with 16 items and was developed from the long version of the HLS-EU-Q47. The items refer to various tasks and activities related to health care, disease prevention or health promotion. Respondents rate in each case how easy they think the corresponding task or activity is ("very easy," "fairly easy," "fairly difficult," "very difficult"). A sum score from 0 to 16 can be calculated, and the latter can be classified as insufficient (<9), problematic (9-12), and sufficient (13-16) health literacy.