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2 results

  • Empower GBM: A pilot study of a patient–caregiver supportive intervention for patients with glioblastoma

  • Karena Leo, Laura S. Porter, Jodie Lisenbee, Katherine Ramos
  • Journal:
    Palliative & Supportive Care / Volume 23 / 2025
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    18 July 2025, e136
    • Article
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      • Open access
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  • Objectives

    The aim of this article is to develop and pilot test a new supportive care intervention, Empower GBM, designed for patients with glioblastoma and their family caregivers to reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life.

    Methods

    Qualitative interviews were conducted with patients diagnosed with glioblastoma and their caregivers to obtain information about their experiences and needs in coping with glioblastoma. We also gathered their feedback about the supportive care intervention we were proposing (Phase I). Following Phase I, we conducted a single-arm pilot to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the 6-session intervention (Phase II).

    Results

    During interviews (N = 14), patients and caregivers reported having the most difficulty and distress surrounding disease progression and management, maintaining dignity and autonomy, negotiation of roles and responsibilities, and maintaining connection with one another. Participants endorsed that an intervention like Empower GBM with skills focused on managing symptoms to increase independence, increasing caregiving efficacy and support, and coping with dyadic challenges would be of potential benefit. Preliminary results from the pilot study (N = 11) suggested the intervention is both feasible (e.g., 82% completed all 6 sessions and post-treatment surveys) and acceptable (88.9% reported a mean satisfaction score of 3 or higher; mean score of 3.57/4.0). Improvements in psychological outcomes, functional well-being, and caregiving efficacy from pre- to post-treatment survey results suggested the potential benefits of the intervention.

    Significance of results

    We developed a novel supportive care intervention informed by the dyadic illness model that is designed to meet the individual and interpersonal needs of patients with glioblastoma and their caregivers. Unique features include its flexibility to be delivered to patients and/or their family caregivers individually or jointly, while providing skills and strategies to meet the needs of both individuals and the dyad as the unit of care in coping with glioblastoma.

  • 11 - Conflict Management and Problem Solving as Relationship Maintenance

  • from Part III - Processes of Relationship Maintenance
  • Edited by Brian G. Ogolsky, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, J. Kale Monk, University of Missouri
  • Book:
    Relationship Maintenance
    Published online:
    02 December 2019
    Print publication:
    19 December 2019, pp 194-214

  • Summary

    Maintaining a committed relationship over a long period of time is a challenging task for couples, as both partners need to be responsive to each partner’s preferences and needs, function well together, and be attentive to their environment. Balancing these factors can be difficult, particularly given that all of these domains are likely to change over time. Therefore, partners inevitably experience conflict as they engage in this ongoing process, often differing in their approaches to the myriad factors they must address. Conflict is a normative process that has the potential to help a couple move forward adaptively by restoring balance within the relationship when the differences between partners are addressed. However, it is how an individual handles conflict that determines whether conflict contributes to relationship maintenance. This chapter presents an integrative conceptual model of conflict management using the Valence-Affective-Connection (VAC) model, which comprises three axes along which conflict management and problem-solving tactics vary as well as two timeframes of relationship maintenance. It is our hope that the VAC model will contribute to future research by presenting a framework for deriving testable hypotheses that build on well-established relational theories and incorporate key principles from individual models of psychopathology and physical health.