Understanding Well-Being in Asian-American Prostate Cancer Survivors

UCI IRB HS#4773

This project highlights the need for attention to understand the cancer-related experience and care needs of Asian American (AA) prostate cancer (PCa) survivors. This study explores the cancer experiences of AA PCa survivors, especially cancer-related changes, and their influence on well-being, resilience factors, and values. This study uses a semi-structured interview that focuses on how prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment affect AA PCa survivors’ overall well-being and coping strategies, with an emphasis on cultural values in emotional management. This research will contribute to filling the major gap in knowledge for AA PCa survivorship and provide the theoretical basis for future public health interventions.

All prostate cancer survivors over 18 years old who identify as Asian American and have completed prostatectomy or radiation therapy within 2 years will be eligible if they feel comfortable reading and speaking English during the interview. If eligible, you will be asked to complete a 1 to 1.5-hour confidential interview with a trained interviewer.

After completing the interview, you will receive a $100 gift card as recognition of your contribution.

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A Biobehavioral Intervention to Reduce Adverse Outcomes in Young Adult Testicular Cancer Survivors

UCI IRB HS# 2018-5812

This study was designed to adapt and test a type of counseling called Goal-focused Emotion-regulation Therapy (GET). Our team is interested in how young men navigate life goals and manage their emotions after testicular cancer. We would also like to learn more about biological factors—like stress hormones—that may affect one’s emotional and physical health. This study will help us better understand quality of life needs and further develop the GET program, in the hopes of providing this service to more young cancer survivors.

All young adult men diagnosed with testicular cancer who have completed their primary treatment in the past two years may be eligible to participate. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to collect saliva samples at home and complete online questionnaires before and after the study. Participation also involves attending 6 online counseling sessions provided by a trained interventionist. There are two study groups, and you will be assigned to one at random.

You would receive $50 for each of the four assessments (before the study, directly after the study, 3 months after the study, and 6 months after the study) for a total of up to $200.

Click here for an instructional video on at-home saliva collection

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A Biobehavioral Intervention for Latino/Hispanic Young Adults with Testicular Cancer

UCI IRB HS# 2020-5703

The purpose of this research study is to adapt and test a type of coaching or counseling called Goal-focused Emotion-regulation Therapy (GET) for young adults. Its purpose is to focus on how young men navigate life goals and manage their emotions after testicular cancer. We would also like to learn about biological factors like stress hormones that may affect one’s emotional and physical well-being.  This study will allow us to better understand young men’s quality of life needs and further develop a program to provide services to survivors.

All young adult Latino men diagnosed with testicular cancer who have completed their primary treatment in the past two years may be eligible to participate. If you decide to participate, you will be asked to complete questionnaires online and to collect saliva samples and oral swabs at home over 4 days. You will receive 6 coaching or counseling sessions via an online video platform. After the last session, you will be asked to complete additional questionnaires online and again provide samples of saliva at home over 4 days. Some will be chosen to also take part in an interview to provide feedback on their experience at the end.

You would receive $50 for each of the 3 assessment sessions, and an additional $25 for the optional interview, for a total of up to $175.

Click here for an instructional video on at-home saliva collection

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Inflammatory Processes, Emotion Regulation, and Depression in Prostate Cancer Survivors

UCI IRB HS# 2018-4643

The purpose of this research study is to better understand how various factors, such as coping strategies and the workings of the immune system, may be related to quality of life and mental health in the year following treatment for prostate cancer. The results of this study may help to allow us to design services that will be helpful for men with prostate cancer.

All men diagnosed with prostate cancer who are scheduled for surgery or to begin radiation therapy may be eligible to participate. If you decide to participate, your participation in the research may include an initial visit with a member of the research team, where you will be asked to complete an interview, questionnaires, and provide a sample of blood. The session could take up to 2 hours. You would be asked to complete a series of 7 follow-up visits in the 1 year after you complete your surgery or radiation treatment. Two of these sessions would be scheduled in person and would include completing questionnaires, interviews, and providing a sample of blood. The other 5 sessions can be done by telephone and also involve completing questionnaires and interview questions. These will take approximately 1 hour.

You would receive $25 for each of the 3 in-person sessions and $15 for the 5 telephone sessions – for a total of up to $150.

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Sleep Quality in Young Adult Informal Caregivers

UCI IRB HS# 2020-6375

The current study is designed to contribute to our understanding of the unique stress and coping experiences of young adult informal caregivers from their non-caregiving peers. The primary purpose is to assess the overall sleep quality of young adult informal caregivers relative to non-caregivers(study part 1) and to distinguish daily sleep patterns between ethnic minority and non-ethnic minority caregivers (study part 2). 

Students may be compensated up to 3 SONA credits for their participation. For more information, please follow this link: Sona Link

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Comparing Stress-Related Biomarkers for Biobehavioral Research

UCI IRB# 293

A number of stress- and immune system-related biomarkers are of common focus in biobehavioral research studies. These biomarkers are often measured in differing biological fluids across studies. These include measurement from saliva, plasma (blood), and oral mucosal transudate (OMT) (which is extracted from a swab of the gums in the mouth). However, few studies have attempted to simultaneously measure biomarkers from the various biological fluids in the same study, making it difficult to contextualize findings across the literature. A primary goal of this research is to specify, test, and compare the results of commonly used biomarkers as measured from saliva, OMT, and plasma. Biomarker associations with various aspects of mood, emotional experience, and coping will also be examined. Participants will be primarily recruited from the social science undergraduate research subject pool (SONA system).

Students may be compensated up to 2.5 SONA credits for their participation. For more information, please follow this link: Sona Link

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