Psychological Intervention for Caregivers of Patients With Malignant Gliomas

Caregivers of loved ones with malignant gliomas frequently experience a physical and psychological burden caring for their loved ones. The purpose of this study is to find out whether a psychological intervention can help caregivers learn effective coping methods during their loved one's treatment and make the experience of being a caregiver more manageable.

The psychological intervention will take place in a series of six sessions. A trained social worker or psychologist will meet with the participant or talk with the participant over the telephone or by video conference for 45 minutes at a time to discuss the caregiver experience while developing effective skills to support the loved one as well as the participant over the course of the loved one's illness.

Upon the completion of the sessions, the investigators will have a short (30-minute) exit interview to obtain the participant's feedback on the intervention. The investigators will use the feedback to improve the intervention before further testing its effectiveness in future research studies. The investigators will also ask the participant to complete questionnaires before and after their participation in the intervention to help the investigators understand the participant's coping skills, caregiving burden, mood, and understanding about the loved one's illness.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥ 18
• Identified by a patient with a malignant glioma (WHO Grade III or IV glioma) as the patient's primary caregiver
• The patient is receiving care at the MGH Cancer Center
• The patient was diagnosed with a malignant glioma within the past 6 months
• Able to speak and read in English
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) score ≥5
• Participants may or may not be pregnant.

Exclusion criteria

• Deemed inappropriate for the study by the patient's clinician or the study PI