Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-019-09612-8 Psychosocial Intervention Programs for Parents of Children with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Critical Comparison of Programs’ Models and Development David Ogez 1,2,6  · Katherine Péloquin 2  · Laurence Bertout 1  · Claude‑Julie Bourque 1,3  · Daniel Curnier 1,4  · Simon Drouin 1  · Caroline Laverdière 1,3  · Valérie Marcil 1,5  · Rebeca Ribeiro 2  · Melissa Callaci 2  · Emélie Rondeau 1  · Daniel Sinnett 4  · Serge Sultan 1,2,3 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract Intervention programs have been developed to help parents cope with their child’s cancer. Despite some studies reporting a high level of evidence, it is unclear how these programs build on each other. Appraising models of change is critical to advance scientifc knowledge and provide evidence-based interventions. This review aims to identify existing programs, explicitly formulate their underlying models, evaluate how they translate into concrete activities, as well as identify and discuss their development process. Eleven programs based on models of change from cognitive-behavioral, systemic and counselling theories were identifed. Many models included a sound theoretical framework, targeted outcomes, as well as implementation strategies. In most cases, preliminary development studies were conducted, but details were rarely provided on how development stages informed the redesign of intervention programs. Acceptability and treatment fdelity were not available for one-third of the programs. Future reports should document the development and design redesign stages prior to conducting efcacy trials, as this step would provide crucial details to critically appraise programs. Keywords Pediatric cancer · Parents · Psychosocial · Intervention program · Systematic review Introduction Psychosocial Challenges for Parents in Pediatric Oncology Recent reviews have highlighted a high frequency of emo- tional distress among parents of children treated for cancer (Vrijmoet-Wiersma et al., 2008). Parental distress is charac- terized by a wide range of symptoms, such as stress, uncer- tainty, loss of control, anxiety, depression, and traumatic symptoms (Picoraro, Womer, Kazak, & Feudtner, 2014; Sultan, Leclair, Rondeau, Burns, & Abate, 2016; Vrijmoet- Wiersma et al., 2008). Post-traumatic stress (PTS) rates of 51% and 40%, respectively, have been observed in mothers and fathers 2 weeks after the diagnosis (Patino-Fernandez et al., 2008). During treatments, parents are subjected to multiple pressures and reorganizations (family, profes- sional, fnancial, etc.) that generate distress and a sense of loss of control. This feeling of signifcant loss of control is explained by difculties in adapting to the oncological situation and an overfow in the management of daily life Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-019-09612-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * David Ogez David.ogez@umontreal.ca 1 Sainte-Justine University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada 2 Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada 3 Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada 4 Department of Kinesiology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada 5 Department of Dietetic, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada 6 Research Center, Sainte-Justine University Health Centre, 3175 Chemin de la Côte Sainte-Catherine, Montréal, QC H3T 1C5, Canada