Clinical trial · Interventional
Identifying and Mobilizing Personal Resources to Improve Well-Being in Cancer Participants Using the CAERES Protocol
A Resource-Based Psychological Intervention to Enhance Well-Being in Cancer Participants: Acceptability, Feasibility and Effects of the CAERES Protocol (Cancer Auto-Evaluation of RESources) - A Pilot Study in Italian-Speaking Switzerland
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Cancer patients often experience emotional distress, fatigue, and reduced quality of life that may not be fully addressed by medical treatment alone. Research suggests that helping patients identify and mobilize their personal strengths and resources may support their psychological well-being. However, structured psychosocial interventions focused on personal resources have not been widely tested in cancer rehabilitation settings. The goal of this clinical trial was to test the acceptability and feasibility of a 3-week psychosocial intervention designed to help adult cancer patients identify and mobilize their personal strengths to better cope with their illness. The intervention was based on the AERES tool (Auto-Evaluation des RESsources; in english : Resources Self-Assessment), a card-sorting instrument developed at the University of Lausanne for strength-based assessment in clinical populations. The main questions it aimed to answer were: * Was the CAERES (Cancer Auto-Evaluation of RESources) intervention acceptable and feasible for cancer patients undergoing oncological treatment or rehabilitation? * Did the intervention positively affect emotional well-being, self-efficacy, posttraumatic growth, cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with care? Researchers compared an immediate-intervention group with a waitlist control group (3-week delay before receiving the same intervention) to see if the intervention produced measurable effects on the targeted outcomes. Participants: * Completed an in-person AERES card-sorting session (1 to 2.5 hours) to identify personal strengths across three dimensions (personal qualities, hobbies and passions, and social/environmental resources) * Received a personalized written report identifying a targeted resource to develop * Engaged in a 3-week home-based reinforcement program with three weekly phone calls (15 minutes each) and three personalized written feedback reports * Completed validated questionnaires at three time points (baseline, post-intervention, follow-up) Recruitment was conducted at three sites in Italian-speaking Switzerland: the Rehabilitation Clinic of Novaggio (EOC/Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale), the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI) in Bellinzona, and a private psycho-oncology practice in Lugano, with patient referrals supported by collaborating psycho-oncologists.
Conditions
Conditions (7)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affect (Mental Function) | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Anxiety | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Cancer-related Fatigue | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Depression | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Neoplasms (Cancer / Tumors) | Neoplasm | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.85 |
| Post-Traumatic Growth, Psychological | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Self Efficacy | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAERES (Cancer Auto-Evaluation of RESources) Psychosocial Intervention | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Arm1: AERES Group (Immediate Intervention)
- description
- Adult cancer patients receiving the CAERES psychosocial intervention immediately after baseline assessment. The 3-week intervention combines: (1) an initial in-person AERES assessment session (1.5-2.5 hrs) using a card-based tool to identify personal strengths and resources, followed by an initial personalized written report specifying the targeted resource to mobilize; (2) three weekly follow-up phone calls, each followed by a personalized written report. Outcomes assessed at baseline (pre-test, before any intervention), at 3 weeks after baseline (post-test 1, immediately after intervention completion), and at 6 weeks after baseline (post-test 2, end of study). Written materials and self-report questionnaires were delivered by email, postal mail, or in person, according to participant preference.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: CAERES (Cancer Auto-Evaluation of RESources) Psychosocial Intervention
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Arm 2: WL group (Waitlist Control Group)
- description
- Adult cancer patients placed on a 3-week waiting list before receiving the same CAERES psychosocial intervention as Arm 1 (initial in-person AERES session, initial personalized written report, three weekly phone calls each followed by a personalized written report). Outcomes assessed at baseline (pre-test 1, before any intervention), at 3 weeks after baseline (pre-test 2, end of waiting period), and at 6 weeks after baseline (post-test, immediately after delayed intervention completion). Written materials and self-report questionnaires were delivered by email, postal mail, or in person, according to participant preference. Group allocation was non-randomized, based on participants' availability and compatibility with oncological treatment schedule.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Any type of cancer * Age ≥18 years * Currently undergoing or awaiting curative cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or surgery), or in oncological rehabilitation/follow-up * Life expectancy of at least one year * Sufficient knowledge of Italian or French * Written informed consent provided Exclusion Criteria: * Treatment completed more than two years prior to enrollment * Advanced disease * Cancer relapse during the study * Diagnosis of major depression * Cognitive impairment preventing adequate adherence to the protocol * Insufficient knowledge of Italian or French to participate in counseling and assessment sessions
References
Publications (10)
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- BACKGROUNDFredrickson BL. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Am Psychol. 2001 Mar;56(3):218-26. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.56.3.218. PMID 11315248
- BACKGROUNDSerpentini S, Del Bianco P, Chirico A, Merluzzi TV, Martino R, Lucidi F, De Salvo GL, Trentin L, Capovilla E. Self-efficacy for coping: utility of the Cancer behavior inventory (Italian) for use in palliative care. BMC Palliat Care. 2019 Apr 5;18(1):34. doi: 10.1186/s12904-019-0420-y.