Grant Number:	5R21CA261884-02 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Berg, Carla
Organization:	George Washington University
Project Title:	An Mhealth Positive Psychology Intervention to Reduce Cancer Burden in Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Fiscal Year:	2023

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Young adulthood (YA) is a critical time in shaping life trajectories related to educational, financial, and family goals, among others. Unfortunately, cancer diagnosis/treatment and its psychosocial sequelae disrupt this critical period for some YAs. This life goal disturbance is related to poorer psychological outcomes, particularly among YAs; however, goal revision and reprioritization lead to more positive psychological outcomes. Thus, goal negotiation is a critical part of survivorship. Understanding psychosocial determinants of positive psychological and behavioral outcomes is critical for developing effective behavioral interventions. Within the rich positive psychology literature, the construct of hope is one particularly relevant factor for YA cancer survivors; hope has been defined as a positive cognitive state based on a sense of successful goal-directed determination and planning to meet these goals. In the general population and in cancer survivors, hope is related to better quality of life (QOL), mental health, health behaviors, and coping with illness/cancer. Our team pioneered an mHealth intervention (i.e., app-based with phone-based counseling) called Achieving Wellness After Kancer in Early life (AWAKE) aimed at increasing hope among YA survivors, thereby re-engaging them in long-term life goals across domains (e.g., vocational, familial) and ultimately increasing QOL. In an 8-week pilot RCT of 56 YAs recruited from 2 cancer centers, AWAKE demonstrated feasibility (95% retention), acceptability (e.g., high satisfaction), and promising trends in changes in hope, QOL, depressive symptoms, and health behaviors (e.g., substance use) in YA survivors. This proposal builds on our prior work to update AWAKE (e.g., its technology), enhance its reach, and increase our ability to examine its effects. Our specific aims are to: 1) conduct formative research examining YA cancer survivor preferences on phone-based counseling with app support to enhance AWAKE; and 2) test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of AWAKE vs. attention control (AC) via an 8-week RCT of 150 YA cancer survivors. The proposed research is innovative in its use of a novel intervention target – hope – as a mechanism for addressing goal- disruption and QOL among YA survivors, and its use of novel mHealth components and population-based recruitment strategy (via social media) that are particularly relevant to YA survivors and those with potentially limited access to healthcare. This proposal is responsive to RFA-CA-20-028 and has potential high impact due to the number of YA cancer survivors for whom AWAKE may be relevant, AWAKE’s potential utility in reducing cancer-related morbidity and disrupted life goals, and its reach/scalability. Our team is uniquely- qualified to conduct this research, based on our complementary skills and expertise and our collaborative history. Findings will provide the foundation for future research examining AWAKE’s efficacy, generalizability, and scalability, and will also catalyze research to address limitations in cancer survivorship care via mHealth.




Young Adult Cancer Survivors' Perspectives on Cancer's Impact on Different Life Areas Post-Treatment: A Qualitative Study.
Authors: Arem H. , Duarte D.A. , White B. , Vinson K. , Hinds P. , Ball N. , Dennis K. , McCready D.M. , Cafferty L.A. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Journal Of Adolescent And Young Adult Oncology, 2024-05-02 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2024-05-02 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 38695773
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A digital, coach-assisted intervention to address the psychosocial needs of young adult cancer survivors: Randomized controlled trial protocol and intervention adaptation process.
Authors: McCready D.M. , Arem H. , Duarte D.A. , Dennis K. , Ball N. , Cafferty L.A. , Hinds P.S. , Howlader A. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Contemporary Clinical Trials, 2024-04-23 00:00:00.0; 141, p. 107545.
EPub date: 2024-04-23 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 38657732
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Examining local smoke-free coalitions in Armenia and Georgia: context and outcomes of a matched-pairs community-randomised controlled trial.
Authors: Berg C.J. , Haardörfer R. , Torosyan A. , Dekanosidze A. , Grigoryan L. , Sargsyan Z. , Hayrumyan V. , Sturua L. , Topuridze M. , Petrosyan V. , et al. .
Source: Bmj Global Health, 2024-02-07 00:00:00.0; 9(2), .
EPub date: 2024-02-07 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 38325896
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Emotion Regulation Moderates Associations between Discrimination and Cannabis Use Patterns among Sexual Minority Young Adult Women.
Authors: Vogel E.A. , Romm K.F. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Cannabis (albuquerque, N.m.), 2024; 7(2), p. 11-23.
EPub date: 2024-06-26 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 38975591
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Disparities in Cannabis Use among Female and Male Sexual Minority Young Adults in the US: The Role of Parenting Behaviors.
Authors: Romm K.F. , McDonald S. , DiLissio E. , Dearfield C. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Cannabis (albuquerque, N.m.), 2024; 7(2), p. 163-176.
EPub date: 2024-06-26 00:00:00.0.
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Use of Cannabis for Medical or Recreational Purposes Among US Young Adults: Correlates and Implications for Problematic Use and Interest in Quitting.
Authors: Sridharan P. , Romm K.F. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Cannabis (albuquerque, N.m.), 2024; 7(2), p. 51-64.
EPub date: 2024-06-26 00:00:00.0.
PMID: 38975600
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Factors associated with support for social enforcement of smoke-free policies in Georgia and Armenia.
Authors: LoParco C.R. , Dekanosidze A. , Torosyan A. , Grigoryan L. , Hayrumyan V. , Sargsyan Z. , Cui Y. , McCready D. , Haardӧrfer R. , Alayan N. , et al. .
Source: Tobacco Prevention & Cessation, 2024; 10, .
EPub date: 2024-08-23 00:00:00.0.
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Associations Between Pro/Anti-Tobacco Media and Messaging Exposure and Knowledge and Support of Smoke-Free Policy Among Adults in Armenia and Georgia.
Authors: LoParco C.R. , Sargsyan Z. , Topuridze M. , Sturua L. , Kegler M.C. , Petrosyan V. , Torosyan A. , Grigoryan L. , Bazarchyan A. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Journal Of Public Health Management And Practice : Jphmp, 2023-09-15 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2023-09-15 00:00:00.0.
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Theory-based correlates of cannabis use and intentions among US and Israeli adults: a mixed methods study.
Authors: Cui Y. , LoParco C.R. , Bar-Zeev Y. , Duan Z. , Levine H. , Abroms L.C. , Wang Y. , Khayat A. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, And Policy, 2023-09-06 00:00:00.0; 18(1), p. 54.
EPub date: 2023-09-06 00:00:00.0.
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IQOS Marketing Strategies and Expenditures in the United States From Market Entrance in 2019 to Withdrawal in 2021.
Authors: Duan Z. , Levine H. , Romm K.F. , Bar-Zeev Y. , Abroms L.C. , Griffith L. , Wang Y. , Khayat A. , Cui Y. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official Journal Of The Society For Research On Nicotine And Tobacco, 2023-09-04 00:00:00.0; 25(11), p. 1798-1803.
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Cumulative Exposure to E-Cigarette Coupons and Changes in E-Cigarette Use Among U.S. Adults.
Authors: Duan Z. , Hamilton-Moseley K.R. , McNeel T.S. , Berg C.J. , Choi K. .
Source: American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 2023-09-04 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2023-09-04 00:00:00.0.
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Parental openness and communication regarding cannabis and alcohol use with their children.
Authors: Dopke C. , Romm K.F. , Berg C.J. .
Source: The American Journal On Addictions, 2023-08-29 00:00:00.0; , .
EPub date: 2023-08-29 00:00:00.0.
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Driving under the influence of cannabis versus alcohol: A mixed-methods study examining perceptions and related risk behaviors among US and Israeli adults.
Authors: LoParco C.R. , Cui Y. , Bar-Zeev Y. , Levine H. , Duan Z. , Wang Y. , Abroms L.C. , Khayat A. , Yang Y.T. , Berg C.J. .
Source: Addictive Behaviors, 2023-08-29 00:00:00.0; 148, p. 107843.
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Cannabis retailer marketing strategies and regulatory compliance: A surveillance study of retailers in 5 US cities.
Authors: Berg C.J. , Romm K.F. , Pannell A. , Sridharan P. , Sapra T. , Rajamahanty A. , Cui Y. , Wang Y. , Yang Y.T. , Cavazos-Rehg P.A. .
Source: Addictive Behaviors, 2023 Aug; 143, p. 107696.
EPub date: 2023-03-17 00:00:00.0.
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Smoke-free home restrictions in Armenia and Georgia: motives, barriers and secondhand smoke reduction behaviors.
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Source: European Journal Of Public Health, 2023-07-27 00:00:00.0; , .
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Gaps in Adhering to Pap Testing Recommendations and Related Barriers in a Sample of Young Adults in the US.
Authors: Sapra T. , Romm K.F. , Le D. , Berg C.J. .
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Source: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, And Policy, 2023-06-19 00:00:00.0; 18(1), p. 35.
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Authors: Berg C.J. , Romm K.F. , Barker D.C. , Schleicher N. , Johnson T.O. , Wang Y. , Sussman S. , Henriksen L. .
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