PERKASA INTERVENTION: A PSYCHOTHERAPY INTERVENTION AMONG PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA IN MALAYSIA

This study, known as PERKASA Intervention, is a psychotherapy intervention towards parents of children with leukemia, implemented in one of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Kuala Lumpur, and has been conducted by a Medical Social Worker. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is a sequel study adapted from a pilot study that has been done previously. This intervention consists of four sessions with 60 minutes per session emphasizing emotional, rational thinking, cognitive, and behavior. A total of 60 samples are selected using purposive sampling, and a 1:1 ratio has been used at randomized stages. A total of 30 participants were placed in the Experimental Group (EG), while the remaining 30 participants were placed in the Control Group (CG). All the participants were approached by the researcher with rigorous monitoring by Pediatric Oncology/Hematology and cooperation from two Chief Nurses. Participants from EG have been assessed three times; pre-intervention (T1), mid-intervention (T2), and post-intervention (T3), meanwhile CG participants were assessed just at the post-intervention (T2a) and compared with EG. This study used chi-square, multivariate ANOVA repeated measures, and independent samples t-test to analyze the intervention interactions. Intent-to-treat analysis shows no significant correlation and no significant differences between remaining participants and participants who withdrew from the study. At pre- to mid-intervention in EG shows no significant changes, except in emotional-focus; the pre- to post-intervention assessment shows significant changes in anxiety, problem-focus, and emotional-focus. Comparison between two groups tested at post-intervention assessment reveal that all variables show significant differences, except in depression level. This PERKASA Intervention successfully overcame the emotional and psychological distress and enhanced coping strategies used among parents of children with leukemia at post-intervention. Recommendations for a future study to be performed in a larger scale of participants and should be done over a long period of time.