Psychological impact of COVID-19 on women treated for ovarian cancer [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A longitudinal mixed methods study of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 crisis on women undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer
IRAS ID
286099
Contact name
Ketankumar Gajjar
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham Trent University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 6 days
Research summary
COVID-19 is an unprecedented crisis in modern cancer care. Research is required to identify how the crisis is affecting the psychological wellbeing of women undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer to help guide clinicians and charities providing support at this time. \nFor women diagnosed with ovarian cancer the impact of the crisis on their treatment raises urgent questions about their psychological and supportive care for three reasons: 1) fear of progression is already a primary concern for many patients, and this will worsen with treatment disruption; 2) the negative psychological effects of shielding will exacerbate distress; 3) early distress, and encountering more difficulties in treatment are indicators or risk for persistent distress after treatment.\nResearch questions:\nResearch questions: \n1)\thow are women undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer affected psychologically by the COVID-19 crisis, and how do these impacts change over time?\n2)\tHow do the rates and severity of distress compare to reported rates of distress in the UK ovarian cancer population in studies completed before COVID-19?\n3)\thow are women responding and adjusting to their experience of the crisis?\n4)\twhat are the unmet informational and emotional support needs of women in the crisis?\n\nMethodology\nThe design combines questionnaires and participant interviews to answer the research questions. Each participant will answer the questionnaires three times over the course of four months to understand how the impact of the crisis changes over time.\n
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/HRA/3375
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion