Research

The feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of an adapted DBT skills training program to cope with cancer is currently being researched by Dr. Chiara Acquati, PhD, LMSW, and Chelsea Sanchez, PhD Student, of the Graduate School of Social Work, University of Houston [UH IRB STUDY00004823]. Additionally, Kate Comtois, PhD, MPH. of UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences serves as research consultant for the investigative team.

The curriculum was developed by Elizabeth Cohn Stuntz, LCSW-R and Ronda Reitz Ph.D., based on the book, Coping with Cancer: DBT Skills To Manage Emotions and Balance Uncertainty with Hope (Guilford Press, 2021), that Stuntz co-authored with Marsha Linehan, the developer of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The 5-week online group training includes:

  1. An introductory session that presents common cancer concerns as well as key DBT concepts such as validation, dialectics, and wise mind.

  2. Tools for decision making, introducing mindfulness skills.

  3. Ways to understand and manage strong emotions that come with cancer.

  4. Strategies for effective communication with loved ones, colleagues, and health care professionals.

  5. How to maintain a sense of hope and meaning while coping with cancer.

Participants are asked to complete surveys about their psychosocial experience before and after the training to assess any change in:

  • Psychological flexibility

  • Emotion regulation

  • Ability to self-advocate

  • Capacity to create and maintain meaning in adverse situations.

Initial evaluations from a small preliminary sample found that over 70% of participants felt

  • more understood and less isolated

  • more hopeful about finding new ways to cope

  • they were thinking about things in a new way

  • more equipped to consider decisions in a more balanced way

  • more equipped to handle strong emotions that can come with cancer

  • more equipped to talk with people in their life and their medical providers

  • increased focus on the values, people, and experiences that are most important to them

Research Team

Chiara Acquati is an Associate Professor in the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston, where she directs the Dyadic Approaches to Cancer Assessment, Research, and Education [DYADICARE] Lab. She also holds faculty appointments at the UH College of Medicine and at The UT MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is a faculty affiliate of the Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program at Michigan Medicine, the UH Health Research Institute and HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention. Her program of research examines interpersonal processes that contribute to mental health, coping, and wellbeing-related outcomes of patients and partners with an emphasis on generating translational results that inform dyadic interventions. Her research has demonstrated that patient and partners’ adjustment to cancer is interdependent and has further clarified the influence of coordinated coping behaviors on quality of life and well-being. This line of work has elucidated the role of within-dyad communication exchanges as precursors of individual and relational outcomes, including sexual and reproductive health. As an expert in dyadic conceptualization and measurement, her work has often expanded to the appraisal of theories and models of stress and dyadic coping in the context of illness and health-related stressors. Funded by American Cancer Society, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), National Cancer Institute, Sexual Medicine Society of North America, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and European Social Fund, she has evaluated institutional capacity for distress screening, developed illness management interventions, and designed trainings that expand providers’ capacity for supportive care. Dr. Acquati regularly contributes her research and scholarly expertise to non-profit organizations such as the Association of Oncology Social Work, Sexual Medicine Society of North America (Mental Health Committee) and the Association of Community Care Centers for advisory committees and other educational and research capacity-building initiatives. She is the past Research Director for the Association of Oncology Social Work (2021-2023) and a Fellow of the organization. She currently serves on the Internal Advisory Board of the Population Health Initiative at the University of Houston and as co-chair of the Health Track for the Society for Social Work and Research Conference.

Chelsea Sanchez is a licensed clinical social worker with over 9 years of experience assisting individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related conditions. Her program of research centers on advancing health equity and social justice among refugee, migrant, and immigrant communities, particularly at the intersection of human trafficking. Throughout her career, she has presented for conferences and coalitions on building effective coalition partnerships, developed trauma-informed care training programs, and coordinated advocacy response teams for law enforcement operations. She is a proud alumna of the Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University and is currently pursuing her PhD in social work at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. 

Kate Comtois, PhD, MPH, a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington received her Ph.D. in clinical/community psychology from the University of Maryland in 1992 and her MPH in Health Services at the University of Washington in 2009  Her research career is dedicated to promoting the recovery of individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts and behavior as well as the effectiveness and resilience of the clinical staff and families who care for them.  Dr. Comtois has over 25 years of experience in Dialectical Behavior Therapy training and implementation in large health systems. She directed the Harborview DBT program, one of the longest standing DBT programs in the country from 1996-2019 and now leads the DBT program at the UW Medicine Outpatient Psychiatry Clinic.  She’s trained across the United States as well as in Canada, England, Norway, and Australia.  Having directed a DBT program in public mental health for over 20 years, Dr. Comtois is particularly knowledgeable about the systemic issues of DBT implementation and the structural changes needed for sustainable implementation.