Cancer Caregivers' Perceptions of a Virtual Meaning- Centered Psychotherapy for Caregivers (MCP-C)

ABSTRACT

Background/Purpose: Caregivers of patients with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) are at risk for existential distress due to complex care needs and patients' poor prognoses. We developed Meaning- Centered Psychotherapy for Cancer Caregivers (MCP-C) to assist caregivers in connecting to a sense of meaning and purpose despite challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated caregivers' distress and the need for caregiver-targeted services, but pandemicrelated precautions have prevented the delivery of care in-person. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering MCP-C over telepsychiatry. Methods: This study was part of a RCT of MCP-C versus Enhanced Usual Care among 60 caregivers of patients with GBM >18 years old who scored >4 on the Distress Thermometer. Before March 2020, MCP-C sessions were delivered in-person, then shifted to telepsychiatry due to COVID-19. At baseline, caregivers reported their preference for treatment delivery modality and location. Posttreatment, nine caregivers (five with sessions in-person, four over telepsychiatry) completed qualitative interviews providing feedback which were transcribed and analyzed using an inductive thematic analytic approach. Results: Half of participants (51.7%) preferred to receive psychosocial support through a combination of in-person and virtual methods;48.3% preferred support to take place from their home. Twenty-one caregivers completed sessions in-person and nine virtually;63.3% completed all seven sessions of MCP-C. Caregivers felt in-person and telepsychiatry sessions were equally as valuable, though they reported telepsychiatry was more convenient and was the reason several caregivers ultimately enrolled. Conclusions and Implications Caregivers of patients with GBM endorsed favorable perceptions MCP-C delivered over telepsychiatry. Virtual delivery was feasible and more acceptable to caregivers by eliminating traditional barriers to care. A larger randomized-controlled trial comparing in-person and virtual MCP-C is needed to evaluate the efficacy of MCP-C delivered over telepsychiatry.