$130,000, awarded by ALS Canada in partnership with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Canada (MTP-CA), to Dr. Andrea Parks at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
For people living with ALS, quality of life is significantly impacted by emotional well-being, yet the management of physical symptoms often becomes the primary focus of care. Currently, little is known about the prevalence and characteristics of psychological distress in ALS and there is no standardized screening tool or management strategy in place to address this psychosocial issue.
With this award, Dr. Andrea Parks aims to characterize the different types of psychological distress observed in ALS patients and determine its predictors, with the long-term goal of developing and validating a routine screening tool to enhance early identification of psychological distress and guide appropriate management strategies.
Through this study, psychological distress will be measured in at least 100 people living with ALS using multiple online, self-administered instruments and a survey to explore various dimensions of psychological distress, including emotional, spiritual, existential, and financial distress. Demographic and clinical data will also be collected to investigate the relationship between demographic/clinical
characteristics and subtypes of distress. Finally, Dr. Parks will seek to validate whether a screening tool commonly used in the oncology field, called the Distress Thermometer, can accurately identify clinically significant distress in ALS patients.
The ability to identify, and subsequently manage, psychological distress will address a major unmet need for ALS patients and their families and ultimately improve quality of life. Additionally, investigating psychological distress in ALS, as proposed in this study, will provide key data to support the potential for programs and funding for mental health services for Canadians living with ALS.
While completing this fellowship, Dr. Parks will also be working towards a master’s degree in Quality Improvement and Clinical Epidemiology through the Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. From early in her career, Dr. Parks has committed herself to the care of ALS patients and the unique expertise she brings to the field will help provide Canadians living with ALS the highest quality of care.