Clinical Scorecard: Impact of Bright IDEAS-YA Skills Training on Psychosocial Well-Being in Young Adults Diagnosed with Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial

At a Glance

Key Highlights

• Bright IDEAS-YA is a tailored 6-session manualized problem-solving skills training program for young adults with cancer.
• The intervention focuses on teaching a 5-step problem-solving method to reduce depression, anxiety, and improve quality of life.
• Randomized clinical trial compared Bright IDEAS-YA to enhanced usual care with assessments up to 24 months.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

• Identify young adults aged 18-39 with a new cancer diagnosis within 4 months undergoing systemic therapy.
• Screen for emotional distress, depression, anxiety, and unmet psychosocial needs.

Management

• Implement Bright IDEAS-YA problem-solving skills training delivered by trained mental health professionals via video sessions.
• Provide enhanced usual psychosocial care including YA-tailored resource lists when Bright IDEAS-YA is not available.

Monitoring & Follow-up

• Assess psychosocial outcomes including depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life at baseline, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months.
• Evaluate problem-solving ability as a mediator of treatment effects.

Risks

• Exclude patients with cognitive impairment or life expectancy less than 6 months from this intervention.
• Monitor for engagement and satisfaction to ensure feasibility and acceptability.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Young adults aged 18-39 years with recent cancer diagnosis undergoing systemic therapy

Bright IDEAS-YA demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in improving problem-solving skills and psychosocial outcomes compared to enhanced usual care.

Clinical Best Practices

• Tailor psychosocial interventions to developmental stage and specific needs of young adults with cancer.
• Use structured, manualized problem-solving training to equip patients with flexible coping skills.
• Deliver interventions via secure video to increase accessibility during treatment.
• Train and supervise mental health professionals to maintain intervention fidelity.
• Incorporate ongoing assessment of psychosocial distress and quality of life to guide care.

References

• Bright IDEAS Problem-Solving Skills Training
• CONSORT Reporting Guideline
• Study Protocol and Supplement