Peer2Me: A Peer Supported Program for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Peer support.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Cancer, Psychosocial Problem. Basic parameters: 18 years — 39 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Germany
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Evaluation of a Peer Supported Program for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients
Overview
The present bicentric study has the aim to investigate the effectiveness of the peer supported mentoring program 'Peer2Me' with regard to psychosocial parameters using a prospective Comprehensive Cohort Design. Over a period of three months, acutely ill patients in the intervention group are accompanied by a mentor with the same disease and of similar age. Patients in the control group receive a one-time consultation. Before and after the intervention, mentors and mentees are interviewed about their psychosocial distress and quality of life.
Detailed description
After successful piloting of the mentoring program "Peer2Me", the mentoring program developed by us is now to be implemented and evaluated in a large-scale study in a second step, in order to be able to derive clinically relevant results.
A total of 180 acutely ill adolescent and young cancer patients (AYA) between the ages of 18 and 39 will be included in the study (intervention and control group). Again, young former cancer patients who have completed treatment will act as mentors and accompany acutely ill AYAs in the period after diagnosis for a period of three months. Prior to their assignment, the mentors take part in a training course, which includes the teaching of suitable conversation techniques, core topics in dealing with the cancer and advice on further care structures. Patients in the control group receive 30 minutes of standardized counseling regarding psychosocial care needs, including appropriate informational materials, during AYA consultation hours at both clinic sites. The study includes three measurement time points: t1: before the intervention; t2: after the end of the intervention; t3: 3 months after the end of the intervention. At all time points, participants will be surveyed using standardized questionnaires. With the help of these data and a comprehensive statistical analysis, the investigators want to make valid statements regarding the effects of peer mentoring on changes in psychological well-being as well as on social support and coping with illness.
Interventions
- Behavioral Peer support
patients were supported by a mentor
Primary outcome measures
- Assessing post traumatic growth of mentors and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention]
- Assessing Empathy of mentors and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention]
- Life satisfaction of mentors and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention]
- Life satisfaction of mentees and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention]
- Self-efficacy of mentees and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention]
- Coping of mentees and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention]
- Anxiety of mentees and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention]
- Depressive symptoms of mentees and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention]
- Social support of mentees and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention]
- Health literacy of mentees and change [Time frame: Baseline and 3 months after intervention and 6 months after intervention]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Cancer disease between the ages of 18 and 39 (all tumor entities)
- completion of acute treatment at least 2 years ago (mentors)
- curative prognosis
- Native language German or fluent German speaker
- first cancer diagnosis in the last 6 months (mentees, all tumor entities)
- curative prognosis
Exclusion criteria
- existing and already diagnosed psychiatric disease, ongoing psychotherapy and/or existing suicidal tendency
- palliative treatment approach
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
Germany · 2 centers
- University Medical Center Leipzig — Leipzig
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Medical Psychology — Hamburg
Publications
- Brock H, Dwinger S, Friedrich M, Sender A, Geue K, Mehnert-Theuerkauf A, Bergelt C, Richter D. Peer2Me - impact of peer support on self-efficacy in young adult cancer survivors (YA-CS): findings from a comprehensive cohort design. BMC Cancer. 2025 May 26;25(1):943. doi: 10.1186/s12885-025-14323-5. PMID 40420294
- Brock H, Dwinger S, Bergelt C, Sender A, Geue K, Mehnert-Theuerkauf A, Richter D. Peer2Me - evaluation of a peer supported program for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients: study protocol of a randomised trial using a comprehensive cohort design. BMC Cancer. 2024 Jul 2;24(1):788. doi: 10.1186/s12885-024-12547-5. PMID 38956510
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05336318 · DKH-70114047