title: A web-based self-help intervention for partners of cancer patients based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: a protocol of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a growing recognition that cancer not only affects the lives of the patients, but also the lives of their partners. Partners of cancer patients are highly involved in the illness trajectory by providing informal care and they often experience distress. However, supporting interventions for this group are scarce and existing interventions bear several limitations. On the basis of the need for theory- and evidence-based supportive interventions for partners of cancer patients, the web-based self-help intervention Hold on, for each other has been developed. This intervention is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The primary objective of the RCT is to investigate the (cost-) effectiveness of the intervention. Additional goals are (1) to examine if psychological flexibility, self-compassion, mastery, supportive behavior, posttraumatic growth and resilience are mediators of the intervention's effects on the partners' mental health; (2) to examine the moderating effects of the socio demographics (age, gender, education, working situation, family situation) and disease-related characteristics of the patients (sort of cancer, stage of disease, duration and treatment of cancer); and (3) to investigate to what extend participants are satisfied with the intervention, which parts of the intervention are mostly used, and how adherent the users are.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted to compare two versions of the intervention Hold on, for each other with a waiting list control condition. Both intervention conditions contain the same content and differ only with regard to the form of professional support (personal support versus automatic support). Adult partners of cancer patients with mild to moderate depressive and anxiety symptoms, will be recruited through a multi-component strategy. Online measurements by self-assessment will be made on four measurement points (prior to randomization (baseline-measurement) and 3, 6 and 12 months after baseline).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When proven effective, Hold on, for each other can be an invaluable contribution to the healthcare system and it could be offered to all partners of cancer patients who are in need for additional support.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Dutch Trial Register, trial registration number NTR4035, date of registration: 17 March 2013.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands. n.kohle@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Köhle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands. c.h.c.drossaert@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Constance H C
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Drossaert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands. k.m.g.schreurs@utwente.nl.|Roessingh Research and Development, P.O. Box, 310 7500 AH, Enschede, The Netherlands. k.m.g.schreurs@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Karlein M G
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Schreurs
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD, Groningen, The Netherlands. mariet.hagedoorn@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Mariët
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagedoorn
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, VU University, VdBoechorststraat 1, room 2B-64, 1082 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. im.verdonck@vumc.nl.|Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, P.O Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. im.verdonck@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: Irma M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Verdonck-de Leeuw
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Health and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, The Netherlands. e.t.bohlmeijer@utwente.nl.
authors.forename: Ernst T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Bohlmeijer
mesh_terms: D064869:Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D009426:Netherlands; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012747:Sexual Partners; D018454:Spouses; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D055815:Young Adult