The effects of the Make a Wish intervention on psychiatric symptoms and health-related quality of life of children with cancer: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Objective Children with life-threatening medical conditions frequently undergo invasive medical procedures that may elicit anxiety and distress. However, there are few empirically validated interventions that reduce mental health symptoms and increase the resilience of children during the acute stages of illness. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the Make a Wish intervention for children with life-threatening cancer. Methods The design was a wait-list-controlled trial with two parallel groups. Sixty-six children aged 5–12 with an initial diagnosis of life-threatening cancer were identified and randomly assigned to the Make a Wish intervention (n = 32) or a wait-list control group (n = 34). Children completed measures of psychiatric and health-related symptoms, positive and negative affect, hope, and optimism pre-intervention and post-intervention. After baseline data collection, children were interviewed and made an authentic wish that they wanted to come true. These wishes were made possible 5–6 months after baseline data collection, to fuel anticipation and excitement over the wish-fulfillment event. The post-intervention assessment point was 5 weeks after wish fulfillment (approximately 7 months after baseline data collection). Results Children in the intervention group exhibited a significant reduction in general distress (d = 0.54), depression (d = 0.70), and anxiety symptoms (d = 0.41), improved health-related quality of life (d = 0.59), hope (d = 0.71), and positive affect (d = 0.80) compared to decrease in positive affect and no significant changes in the other measures in the control group. Conclusions These findings emphasize the role of hope and positive emotions in fostering the well-being of children who suffer from serious illnesses.

Impact of resilience on the health‐related quality of life of adolescents with a chronic health problem: A structural equation approach

“…Hope is a major factor affecting HRQOL (Kershaw et al, 2004). Cherishing hope, adolescents with a chronic health problem will put forth efforts to improve their HRQOL regarding their physical, mental, social and academic functions despite demanding situations; consequently, perceived HRQOL is high among them (Shoshani, Mifano, & Czamanski-Cohen, 2016).…”

Interventions to improve the mental health of children and young people with long-term physical conditions: linked evidence syntheses

“…Studies were conducted in eight different countries, with the USA (n = 10) 84,119-127 most common, followed by Australia (n = 5) 118,[128][129][130][131] and Iran (n = 4). [132][133][134][135] Studies included children and/or young people with 12 different LTCs, with cancers (n = 5) 123,133,[135][136][137] receiving the most attention. T1DM (n = 4), 118,120,122,130 asthma (n = 3), 119,138,139 IBD (n = 3) 84,125,126 and hearing loss (n = 2) 132,134 were also the subject of multiple studies, with all other LTCs featuring in one study each.…”

Working Memory Performance, Attention Maintenance and Executive Function in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

“…Children with cancer apply more avoidance behaviors. Avoidance mechanisms, as an emotion regulation mechanism, decrease attention in children with cancer and cause reduced cognitive skills (4). Avoidance leads to the reduced sense of curiosity and searching in the environment and is considered as a base for cognitive problems.…”

“…Pain resulting from invasive therapies can reduce IQ in children. Despite the above factors, Air and colleagues (4) have emphasized that chemotherapy increased the behav-…”

“…Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is also the most common type of leukemia (includes 75% of childhood Leukemia) (3). Cancer and adverse side effects of medical treatment may severely affect the psychological functioning of children in the long run (4). Previous studies have shown that emotional disorders such as anxiety disorders are prevalent in childhood cancer (5).…”