ABSTRACT
Background/Purpose: Receiving a cancer diagnosis during adolescence and young adulthood (AYA;15-39) coincides with a period of pivotal developmental milestones. Coping with the stress of cancer diagnosis exacerbates risk for distress and feelings of isolation among AYAs. Mind-body resiliency programs may offer a compassionate approach for tackling these negative post-treatment psychosocial experiences. The present mixed methods study explores the acceptability of an 8-week, synchronous, virtual group Relaxation Response Resiliency Program (3RP) adapted to address the unique challenges facing AYAs (3RP-AYA). Method(s): Recruitment occurred at an academic hospital in Boston, MA from 03/2019 to 09/2020. Participants (N = 72, Mage = 23.8, female = 73.6%, non-Hispanic White = 59.7%, Hispanic/Latino = 20.8%, 1.6 years post-treatment) were randomized to receive 3RP-AYA immediately (intervention group;n = 35) or after 3 months (waitlist control;n = 37) via Zoom. Electronic surveys were collected before and after participants completed treatment;we report post-treatment survey data measuring acceptability across five domains (enjoyability, helpfulness, convenience, future use, and satisfaction) using 4-point Likert scales (1 = not at all to 4 = very). Qualitative post-treatment interviews further queried program acceptability. Result(s): Program acceptability responses indicated program satisfaction: enjoyability (M = 3.62, SD = 0.69), helpfulness (M = 3.45, SD = 0.75), and convenience (M = 3.67, SD = 0.71). More specifically, 76.7% of participants found the virtual delivery to be very convenient, and 71.7% rated the sessions as very enjoyable. 91.7% of participants reported they were likely/very likely to use learned skills in the future and 91.7% reported the intervention as helpful/very helpful. Additionally, 96.6% reported satisfaction with the overall content. Exit interviews highlighted session intergroup connectivity as a particular strength. Conclusions and Implications: Across multiple domains, the 3RPAYA was deemed acceptable by AYAs. Participants valued the opportunity to learn mind-body skills and connect with other young survivors. The synchronous virtual study platform showed promise for being a convenient and helpful tool to deliver mind-body programs to AYA survivors during the Covid-19 pandemic.