Development and Psychosocial Outcomes Lab
Promoting psychosocial health for youth with cancer
The Development and Psychosocial Outcomes Lab, directed by Dr. Kaitlyn (Katy) Fladeboe, is dedicated to identifying and addressing the unique psychological, social, and developmental needs of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. Applying principles of developmental psychology and behavioral medicine, our goal is to develop and disseminate evidence-based supportive care programs to enhance well-being and mitigate suffering for AYAs and their family members.
Our lab is integrated within the Seattle Children’s Behavioral and Clinical Outcomes Research Program (BCORP), a multidisciplinary team of investigators with a common goal of improving outcomes and promoting whole-person care in pediatric oncology.
Addressing AYA Social Health Needs
This study aims to develop and test a behavioral program to address social health needs of AYAs newly diagnosed with cancer.
Social well-being is an important contributor to both mental and physical health. Unfortunately, many adolescents and young adults (AYAs) face social challenges during and after their cancer treatment. The goal of this project is to adapt a psychosocial program to address social health needs of AYAs recently diagnosed with cancer. The first phase uses a patient-centered approach to develop and refine this adaptation. The second phase is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to determine if the adapted program is feasible, acceptable and has potential to improve social well-being.
Kaitlyn Fladeboe, PhD
Kaitlyn (Katy) Fladeboe, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine; principal investigator in the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute; and affiliate member of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Dr. Fladeboe received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara; master's degree in Developmental Psychology from San Francisco State University; and PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of Washington Department of Psychology. She completed her postdoctoral research training and T32 fellowship in palliative care research at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
Dr. Fladeboe leads the Development & Psychosocial Outcomes Lab in the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders Research at Seattle Children's Research Institute. Her research focuses on understanding and addressing psychosocial needs of adolescents and young adults with serious illness and their family members.