Goal-focused Emotion-Regulation Therapy for young adult survivors of testicular cancer: Feasibility of a behavioral intervention

Abstract

Background: Young adult cancer testicular survivors experience impairing, distressing, and modifiable physical, behavioral, and psychosocial adverse outcomes that persist long after the completion of primary medical treatment. These include psychological distress and poor psychosocial adjustment, impaired navigation of life goals, persistent treatment side effects, and fear associated with elevated risk of secondary malignancies and chronic illness. This paper describes the feasibility and acceptability of a novel intervention, Goal-focused Emotion-Regulation Therapy (GET) aimed at improving distress symptoms, emotion regulation, and goal navigation skills in young adult testicular cancer patients. METHODS: Participants (N = 6) were recruited from a large comprehensive cancer center and received the GET intervention that included six individual sessions across eight weeks. Following all sessions, participants underwent a qualitative interview. RESULTS: Results supported the feasibility in recruitment and retention and overall positive satisfaction, working alliance, and helpfulness of the intervention. Clinically meaningful change was observed in both depression and anxiety. CONCLUSION: With slight adaptation, results support the feasibility of a future clinical trial.

Keywords

• Intervention
• Testicular cancer
• Goal
• Young adult
• Feasibility
• Depression