NCT04310345

Impact of Human-Animal Interactions on Children With Life-Threatening Conditions and Their Parents

Exploring the Impact of Human-Animal Interactions on Children With Life-Threatening Conditions and Their Parents

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 74 (actual)
• Sponsor: Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 6 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study will evaluate the effects of human-animal interaction on reducing anxiety, depression, worry, and pain and enhancing quality of life in children ages 6-17 years old with a life threatening cancer and their parent caregivers.

Detailed description

Objectives: * To examine the feasibility of human-animal interaction (HAI) sessions for children with a life threatening cancer and a primary caregiver, specifically to: * To identify and document necessary modifications for a safe and feasible intervention * To obtain recruitment estimates and determine potential recruitment barriers * To evaluate elements of implementation fidelity (design, training, delivery/receipt of treatment, enactment) * To verify safety * To determine the preliminary efficacy of human-animal interaction sessions: * On children with a life threatening cancer for the outcomes of qualify of life, anxiety, depression, worry, and pain * On caregivers of children with a life threatening cancer for the outcomes of stress and anxiety Exploratory Objective: \- To explore mechanisms (reduced salivary cortisol and urinary norepinephrine levels) associated with 8 weeks of human-animal interaction.

Conditions

• Advanced Cancer
• Relapsed Cancer
• Refractory Cancer

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Animal-Assisted Interactions	Child and caregivers will spend approximately 10-5 minutes with a registered canine and its owner during potentially anxiety-producing visits to the clinic or hospital.

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-03-31
• Primary completion: 2024-02-09
• Completion: 2024-06-27
• First posted: 2020-03-17
• Last updated: 2024-08-19
• Results posted: 2024-08-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States