Addressing the psychosocial support needs of cancer co-survivors in low-income communities

Background: Family members and friends, referred to as co-survivors, provide crucial support to cancer survivors during and after acute cancer treatment. The impact of living with cancer on one's mental health and emotional wellbeing can be profound. So too, navigating cancer-related systems can be challenging for co-survivors as they attempt to access social supports and important health information. The aim of the presentation is to present evaluation findings from an innovative community-based intervention called “Un Abrazo Para La Familia,” designed to assist co-survivors from low-income communities. Methods: The intervention was delivered in a low-income, predominately Hispanic community involving the training and use of lay community-health workers. Over two years, 120 co-survivors participated in the preventive intervention. Pre-post survey measures of knowledge about cancer and self-efficacy were employed. Results: The majority of participants (96%) were women and all but one were Hispanic. Evaluation findings indicate important benefits for co-survivors in the form of increased cancer knowledge and improved self-efficacy. Our work and research focus has led to the establishment of a European-US collaboration: FRED (Family-Focused Research, Education and Development). Un Abrazo findings will be contextualized within the conceptual frameworks and research findings of relevant psychosocial interventions, such as Finland's “Let's Talk about Children” and “Family Talk Intervention.” Conclusions. Family-focused support for cancer co-survivors from low socioeconomic backgrounds requires innovative solutions to promote health and well-being. FRED provides a platform for global learning about innovative, preventive interventions and the need for local community-based support, such as Un Abrazo, for families with cancer.