Self-affirmation Intervention for People Newly Diagnosed With Advanced Cancer

March 7, 2025 updated by: University of Arkansas

Self-affirmation Intervention for People Newly Diagnosed With Advanced Cancer: A Preliminary Efficacy Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a brief writing intervention works to improve quality of life outcomes in adult patients newly diagnosed with advanced stage cancer.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

A diagnosis of cancer may challenge one's former assumptions and beliefs about themselves and the world and potentially compromise quality of life (QoL). The primary aim of the study is to explore the preliminary efficacy of an intervention to protect individuals from the negative psychological impact of the cancer diagnosis. The secondary aim is to test the validity of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy- Spiritual Well-Being 12 item Scale (FACIT-Sp-12), in its current and revised forms. Potential participants will be enrolled from two study sites as per protocol: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Arkansas Hospice respectively, and will be asked to write as guided by the researcher for 4 weeks. Study outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 2-, 6- and 8-weeks post baseline. It is hypothesized that self-affirmation via writing at the time following a diagnosis of an advanced cancer by affirming values or beliefs that are salient to self will help enhance self-esteem, reinforce spiritual well-being, decrease levels of anxiety or depression, and improve QoL.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
57

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Arkansas
      • Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72205
        • University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
      • North Little Rock, Arkansas, United States, 72116
        • Arkansas Hospice

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • within 8 weeks of being informed of diagnosis (primary or recurrent)
  • cancer stage III or IV of a primary solid tumor, or a high-grade hematological malignancy, and
  • age 18 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

  • medical condition precluding participation (e.g., too ill or fatigued, acute mental confusion as determined by the treating physician), or
  • enrolled in other psychosocial experiments

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Writing
This is a single-group study with one arm only.
Behavioral: Self-affirmation writing
Writing with a focus on self-affirmation at the time following a diagnosis of an advanced cancer

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Changes From Baseline in Self-esteem Scores on the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) to Two-, Six-, and Eight Weeks Post Baseline
Time Frame: Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)
Changes include raw score changes and standardized mean differences. Scores on the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale range from 0 to 30, with higher score indicating higher level of self-esteem.
Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)
Mean Changes From Baseline in Quality of Life (QoL) Scores on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) to Two-, Six-, and Eight Weeks Post Baseline
Time Frame: Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)
Changes include raw score changes and standardized mean differences. Scores on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) range from 0 to 108, with higher score indicating higher level of quality of life. Each subscale ranging from 0 to 28, with higher score indicating higher level of quality of life. The raw scores of overall QoL (total FACT-G), four composite domains (physical well-being, PWB; social/family well-being, SWB; emotional well-being, EWB; functional well-being, FWB), global QoL (item Gf7 "I am content with the quality of my life right now") and one item pertinent to this study (Ge6 "I worry that my condition will get worse") were presented below.
Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Changes From Baseline in Spiritual Well-Being Scores on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being 12 Item Scale (FACIT-Sp-12) to Two-, Six-, and Eight Weeks Post Baseline
Time Frame: Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)
Changes include raw score changes and standardized mean differences. The FACIT-Sp-12 scale measures an individual's level of spiritual well-being, specifically assessing their sense of meaning, peace, and faith in life, with higher scores indicating a better level of spiritual well-being and lower scores a worse level of spiritual well-being. It consists of 12 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (0 = Not at all to 4 = Very much). The FACIT-Sp-12 Scale consists of 2 sub-scales Meaning/Peace (M/P) with a range of 0-32, and Faith ranging from 1-16. Possible overall spiritual well-being or FACIT-Sp-12 (total) range from 0 to 48. The revised Faith subscale as well as the revised FACIT-Sp-12 scale have the same scale range of the original measures.
Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)
Mean Changes From Baseline in Anxiety and Depression Scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to Two-, Six-, and Eight Weeks Post Baseline
Time Frame: Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)
Changes include raw score changes and standardized mean differences. Scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) range from 0 to 42, with higher score indicating higher level of anxiety or depression. The two subscales HADS anxiety (HADS-A) and HADS depression (HADS-D) were analyzed separately. Each sub-scale has a range from 0-21, with the higher score indicating higher level of anxiety or depression.
Baseline (T1) as well as 2 weeks (T2), 6 weeks (T3), and 8 weeks post baseline (T4)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Arkansas

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Mei Bai, Ph.D., University of Arkansas

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 27, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 7, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 7, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
February 1, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 1, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
February 11, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 7, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 273876

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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