Barriers and facilitators to implementing an online psychological intervention for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors in a community setting

To respond to the psychological needs of adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors, we developed and evaluated a theoretically grounded online intervention to teach adaptive coping skills to promote resilience in early survivorship: ‘Recapture Life’. This qualitative study aimed to evaluate the process of implementing Recapture Life into community organisations, after having been initially developed in an academic setting.

The study duration was 2017–2022. Eighteen community staff members were interviewed before the implementation (T0) and nine of them after the implementation (T1). A qualitative data process evaluation using the Proctor model for implementation was completed. Interviews were thematically analysed and mapped to four key domains: acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, and sustainability.

Major facilitators included the training provided to staff before implementation, support from the community organisation, and the culture within the organisation, as well as the communication between the university/hospital and the community organisation/s. Major barriers included staff turnover and recruitment of participants. Most, but not all, of the potential barriers and facilitators mentioned at T0 were confirmed at T1. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered both a barrier and a facilitator. Additionally, this category did not fit into the Proctor framework, as it cut across all outcomes.

We identified several processes critical to supporting the success of an AYA cancer intervention delivery. This study highlights the potential for psychological programs to be delivered online by skilled and well-trained psychosocial staff in community and not-for-profit settings.

Trial registration

The study was registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN126240013995830) November 26th, 2024 (retrospectively registered).