Reaching Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients Through Social Media: Impact of the Photographs of Meaning Program

Abstract

This study assessed the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the Photographs of Meaning Program for Adolescent and Young Adult cancer patients and survivors (POM-AYA). Methods: POM-AYA is a structured 10-week meaning-based intervention in which participants post photographs and accompanying narratives through a social media platform. Measures of depression, overall quality of life (QoL), and spiritual well-being were assessed on consent (T1), after completing the 10-week intervention (T2) and 2 months' postintervention (T3). Participants also completed a satisfaction questionnaire and followup semi-structured interviews. Results: Thirty AYA cancer patients and survivors (ages 17-36) were enrolled in the study. At T2, depressive symptoms were significantly lower and QoL was significantly higher compared with T1. These gains were maintained at T3. There were no significant differences in reported spiritual well-being across the study period. Overall, participants reported high rates of study satisfaction in both the survey and qualitative feedback. Conclusion: POM-AYA appears to be a potentially beneficial, widely accessible intervention in reducing depressive symptoms and increasing QoL in AYA cancer patients and survivors.

Social media-based interventions for adolescent and young adult mental health: A scoping review

“…Samples sizes ranged from small pilot trials ( n = 10) to larger scale randomized controlled trials ( n = 136). Most studies recruited young people diagnosed with a mental health condition by a clinician or who scored above a clinical threshold on valid clinical measure ( Alvarez-Jimenez et al, 2020 , Alvarez-Jimenez et al, 2018 ; Bailey et al, 2020 ; Ludwig et al, 2021 ; McEnery et al, 2021 ; Rice et al, 2020 , Rice et al, 2018 ), with others focused on young people with self-reported mental health conditions ( Karim et al, 2021 ; Radovic et al, 2018 ; Watkins et al, 2020 ), a cancer diagnosis ( Greer et al, 2019 ; Pailler et al, 2020 ), and college students ( Asbury et al, 2018 ; Frith and Loprinzi, 2017 ; Yu, 2020 ). The most common study design was non-randomized pre-post trial.…”

“… • Significant effects at follow-up for happiness in both groups (p = .02; p = .04). Pailler et al, 2020 10 weeks Meaning-based intervention adapted from a manualized meaning-centered psychotherapy intervention. Aimed to help cancer patients sustain and enhance a sense of meaning, purpose, and peace through facilitating social sharing, narrative, and creativity.…”

“…Of the studies that leveraged an existing social media platform, the features of the platform were most often used to deliver psychoeducational content and encourage cross-dialogue between participants. This included two private Facebook groups ( Frith and Loprinzi, 2017 ; Watkins et al, 2020 ), one private Pixtori group ( Pailler et al, 2020 ), one intervention facilitated through public Facebook accounts ( Yu, 2020 ) and one intervention that involved chatbot-participant interactions through Facebook messenger ( Greer et al, 2019 ). Of the studies that focused on built platforms, the exchange of moderated social support was common as well as delivery of psychoeducation and prompted reflections.…”

Seeking virtual support: Digital technology use in adolescent and young adults with advanced cancer

“…AYA survivors of cancer cite the importance of recreational video game use in both creating/maintaining social connection and distraction from reality 6 . Digital technologies have long been utilized for psychosocial intervention delivery, especially for skill development or education about a diagnosis 7–12 . However, the world of digital technologies is rapidly evolving; frequent change complicates how these platforms may be used for research or clinical care 13 .…”

Using Social Media for Peer-to-Peer Cancer Support: Interviews With Young Adults With Cancer

“…There is also a need to identify the downsides of peer support among individuals with cancer to generate possible solutions, as social media use can negatively influence well-being among young adults [ 35 ]. Previous studies have often focused on the positive impacts of social media use, with a limited focus on potential downsides in these novel approaches [ 29 , 36 ]. If it is known that emotions drive social connections on the web, including negative mental experiences (eg, isolation and fear) [ 30 ], then there is a need to provide more balanced approaches to understand why young adults are motivated to organically share their stories and drawbacks of peer support.…”