Research

More About Our Research

Wonders & Worries has contributed to this body of evidence-based practice through several research studies and our research has been cited in other studies. (Phillips, 2015; Phillips & Prezio, 2016; Phillips et al., 2022; Phillips et al., 2021). These studies provide additional data for others wishing to provide children of adult patients services within the community and support a data informed approach to service delivery.

The first cross sectional study of the impact of Wonders & Worries programming (Phillips & Prezio, 2016) found that among 156 families served, many reported amelioration of multiple children’s issues including:

This multi-year sample of survey results was subsequently used to evaluate predictors of child psychosocial outcomes following their participation in the Wonders & Worries curriculum for families experiencing parental cancer. (Phillips, et al., 2021). Improvement in communication about the illness post intervention was associated with improved sleep, feelings of security, and reduced anxiety. Families reporting financial difficulty were significantly more likely to report the presence of children’s issues related to sleep, eating issues, feeling insecure at home, anxiety, and difficulty with the parent-child relationship. Results suggest variables such as a child’s ability to communicate about the illness and time since a parent’s diagnosis affects outcomes. This study demonstrated that parents with cancer report their children show improved psychological outcomes when participating in a child life intervention designed to address their worries and feelings.

The latest study was a randomized clinical trial focused on investigating the efficacy of the Wonders & Worries copyrighted, six session Illness Education & Coping Curriculum (Phillips, et al.,2022). The study enrolled 60 families with a parent diagnosed with early-stage cancer and their children. The intervention group significantly improved on parenting concerns, parenting self-efficacy, and family quality of life, while children in the intervention group had significantly lower emotional and behavioral problems and worries related to cancer compared to controls. The Wonders & Worries intervention was shown to promote positive adaptation for ill parents and their children in certain domains. This intervention is promising and warrants further refinement and testing with a larger, more diverse sample.