Examining Sociodemographic Differences in Response to Resilience Coaching for Adolescents and Young Adults Receiving Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation—A Post Hoc Analysis of the PRISM Intervention

Background

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) receiving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for malignancy are at risk for poor psychological outcomes. Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) is an early palliative care intervention that has previously been evaluated in a randomized trial among AYAs receiving HCT; results suggested the intervention's effect was limited to AYAs with baseline psychological symptoms.

Objective

We performed a post hoc analysis of these same data to explore differences in response based on sociodemographic factors.

Methods

AYA participants were eligible for the trial if they were 12–24 years old, English-speaking, cognitively able, and within 4 weeks of HCT for malignancy or bone marrow failure. Enrolled AYAs reported their symptoms of anxiety, depression, hope, cancer-related quality of life, and resilience using standardized instruments at baseline and 6 months. We explored intervention effect sizes (Cohen's d) among groups stratified by gender, age, race, zip-code-based community distress (Distressed Community Index, with scores 3–5 indicating distressed communities), and baseline psychological symptoms.

Results

Of 94 participants (50 PRISM, 44 Usual Care), 46% were female, 44% were 18–24 years old, 60% identified as non-Latino White, and 49% lived within distressed communities. Among AYAs 18–24 years old, those with baseline psychological distress tended toward gaining resilience, while those without baseline psychological symptoms seemed to gain hope. AYAs of all ages from distressed communities and with high baseline psychological burden seemed to gain both resilience and hope.

Discussion

AYAs with different ages, backgrounds, and psychological symptoms may have different responses to programs like PRISM.

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT03668223.