# A Biopsychosocial Approach to Behavioral Oncology in Young Adults

> **NIH NIH K00** · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · 2021 · $96,243

## Abstract

Project Summary (Abstract)
Young adult cancer survivors experience greater long-term psychosocial and physical health problems relative
to pediatric and older adult cancer survivors. The development and training of researchers equipped to
understand how to promote health and well-being in young adults will be crucial to meeting these significant
public health concerns. My long-term goal is to become an independent, cancer researcher prepared to identify
the biopsychosocial processes that impact young adult survivors and translate findings into effective solutions to
promote health. Thus, a primary goal of this proposal is to understand the role and impact of social support
related exchanges on psychological adjustment (e.g., depressive symptoms), physical health symptoms, and
neuroendocrine stress markers (i.e., salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase) in young adult women with
breast cancer. Despite overwhelming evidence that young adults increasingly communicate in technology-based
formats, models of social support provision are predominantly based on face-to-face verbal exchanges. For my
doctoral dissertation research, I am investigating the relationships of technology-based (vs. face-to-face)
support-related exchanges among young adult women with breast cancer and an identified social support
network member with cancer-relevant physical, mental, social, and physiological outcomes. Face-to-face and
technology-based support-related exchanges will be observed by utilizing engagement in a communication task.
Exchanges will be coded for the level of person-centeredness and specific word content (i.e., affective, social,
and cognitive processing) expressed during the communication task, communication factors known to
characterize supportive exchange. Further, differences between coded content expressed through face-to-face
and text message exchanges will be tested. Overall communication processes (e.g., person-centeredness, word
content measures) and communication mode will be examined within a biopsychological frame to investigate
relationships of support related exchanges and physical and mental health, psychosocial factors, and biological
stress measures. My predoctoral research utilizes a theory driven approach to provide critical knowledge of the
transactional nature of communication processes that serve to promote or hinder psychological and physiological
distress. During my postdoctoral training I will deepen my focus on meeting the support needs of young survivors
through more advanced training in translational psychoneuroimmunology and understanding how interventions
can impact mental and physical well-being over time. I plan to strengthen and broaden my current knowledge of
young adult cancer survivorship through gaining a deeper understanding of psychoneuroimmunological related
processes, cancer biology and medical oncology among young survivors. This additional training will ultimately
provide firsthand experience into the unique s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10218079
- **Project number:** 5K00CA222727-05
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Katie Darabos
- **Activity code:** K00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $96,243
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10218079

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10218079, A Biopsychosocial Approach to Behavioral Oncology in Young Adults (5K00CA222727-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10218079. Licensed CC0.

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