Randomized trial of Bright IDEAS-YA skills training and psychosocial outcomes among young adults with cancer

Young adults (YA; ages 18-39 years) diagnosed with cancer face unique psychosocial challenges, including high distress and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Bright IDEAS-YA is a six-session, one-on-one problem-solving skills training intervention tailored for YAs to reduce distress and improve HRQOL. A randomized trial at 3 academic medical centers in the USA evaluated efficacy of Bright IDEAS-YA. The trial included 344 YA, within 4 months of a first cancer diagnosis and undergoing systemic therapy. Patients were randomized to Bright IDEAS-YA intervention (n=171) or usual psychosocial care and tailored resources (n=173). Participants complete surveys at baseline and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Participants in the Bright IDEAS-YA intervention group experienced significantly greater improvements in depression, anxiety, and HRQOL compared with those in the control group. The authors conclude that these findings suggest that a brief problem-solving skills training intervention should be considered as part of supportive care to meaningfully improve psychosocial outcomes for YA newly diagnosed with cancer.