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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Caregivers of Children With a RASopathy: An Internal Pilot Feasibility Study and Follow-up Randomized Controlled Trial

Key facts

Who runs it
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Where
Bethesda, United StatesSee the site
Trial code
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
70 people, planned
Started
10 Jan 2024
Expected to end
31 Dec 2027
Type of study
Interventional, 3 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Waitlist
  • ACT Intervention
Record updated
16 October 2026

Who can take part

Age
18 years and older
Sex
Women and men
Healthy volunteers
Can take part

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 11 criteriaShow less

Who cannot take part

  • Uncontrolled psychiatric illness, cognitive impairments, or other circumstance as judged by the Principal Investigator, a licensed psychologist, that would limit compliance with study requirements
  • Another caregiver in the same household is participating in this protocol. If two caregivers in the same household want to participate, we will inform them that one can enroll on the protocol and the other can receive the intervention materials (e.g., parent workbook, audio recordings) to practice on their own. The reason for this is that parents participating with their partner may interact with the intervention differently and have more direct support than other participants. We will collect data on how many caregivers live in the household and how often the second parent engaged with the parent workbook and audio recordings in our pre and post study questionnaires

Other criteria

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Ability to understand and the willingness to sign a written informed consent document
  • Ability to read and speak English
  • Age >= 18 years
  • Caregiver (defined as parent or legal guardian) of a child (< 18 years) with a diagnosis of a RASopathy syndrome including NF1, Noonan Syndrome, Legius Syndrome, CFC, and Costello Syndrome, or another RASopathy
  • The participant s child with a RASopathy must live with them at least 50% of the time
  • Access to necessary resources for participating in a technology-based intervention (i.e., computer, smartphone, internet access) or be willing to use an iPod provided by study team
  • Must score a 15 or higher total score on modified questions from the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), indicating endorsement of the midpoint response on average and thus a moderate level of parenting stress
  • Caregiver must not be participating in or planning to participate in psychosocial intervention primarily targeting parenting stress over the duration of the study. Caregivers are able to receive interventions for other mental health concerns as long as parenting stress is not the main focus of treatment

Where in United States

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)Bethesda, United StatesContact: Staci Peron, Ph.D.Taking people

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Background:

Read full original descriptionShow less

RASopathies are a group of genetic diseases that affect a child s development. They cause physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Caring for a child with a RASopathy can be stressful. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a therapy that helps people become more aware and accepting of difficult thoughts and feelings. ACT has been found to be helpful for parents with high parenting stress.

Objective:

To find out if Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help caregivers of children with a RASopathy better cope with parenting stress.

Eligibility:

People aged 18 years or older who care for a child (younger than 18 years) with a RASopathy. The child must live with the caregiver at least 50% of the time.

Design:

The study is fully remote. Participants need a mobile device that can play audio and video and connect to the internet. They can borrow an iPod if needed.

Participants will download a free app called MetricWire. They will use this app to watch videos and answer questions.

The first 8 participants will be in a pilot study. They will receive the ACT intervention starting the first week after they begin the study.

After the pilot study, we will start a new phase called the randomized trial. In this phase, participants will have a 50-50 chance of being in the group that will start the intervention right away or the group that will start the intervention after about 2 months.

Participants will fill out surveys on 5 random days each week. These surveys have 7 questions and take about 2 minutes. They will also fill out 3 longer questionnaires: once before ACT begins, once just after the 8-week study period, and once about 3 months later. Questions will cover topics including:

Parenting stress

Life satisfaction

Self-compassion

Uncomfortable feelings and thoughts

Mindfulness

Participants will take part in an 8-week ACT intervention. They will have one 75-minute session with an ACT coach in the first week.

Participants will watch 9- to 17-minute videos each week. The videos talk about how to practice ACT techniques to cope with parenting stress.

Participants will have 20- to 30-minute coaching sessions in weeks 3 and 6. The coach will help them practice exercises and work through any problems.

The 3 groups in the trial

  • 1/Internal PilotTreatment being tested

    Participants will begin their 1-week baseline EMA data collection period and then take part in intervention procedures immediately after enrollment to assess feasibility and acceptability.

    Treatment: ACT Intervention

  • 2/Immediate InterventionExisting treatment, for comparison

    Participants will begin their 1-week baseline EMA data collection period immediately after randomization and will begin receiving the 8-week intervention at the end of this week/beginning of the next week (depending on participant schedule).

    Treatment: ACT Intervention

  • 3/Waitlist ControlExisting treatment, for comparison

    After an initial 1-week baseline period for EMA data collection and 8 weeks of maintaining their usual routine (wait list period), participants will begin receiving the 8-week intervention.

    Treatment: Waitlist

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Caregivers of Children With a RASopathy: An Internal Pilot Feasibility Study and Follow-up Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial
Record updated
16 October 2026