Expressive Writing for Cancer Survivors

Expressive Writing for Resilience in Adult Cancer Survivors.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a 1-day expressive writing intervention for adult cancer survivors improves resilience scores as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cancer Survivors
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Expressive writing

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a 1-day expressive writing intervention for adult cancer survivors improves resilience scores as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 14
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705
      • Duke Integrative Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Have ever received a cancer diagnosis
• Have completed cancer treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy)
• Are able to speak, read, write, and understand English
• Are cognitively able to provide consent
• Are able to travel to Durham to participate in the 1-day writing intervention

Exclusion Criteria:

-Cancer diagnosis was skin cancer that did not require additional treatment after surgical removal

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Cancer survivors; Adult survivors of any kind of cancer (except for minor skin cancer) are eligible to participate

Behavioral: Expressive writing; During this daylong expressive writing workshop intervention, the writing instructor coached participants through a series of simple writing exercises. Participation required neither any prior writing experience, nor any desire to become a writer. The practices cultivate natural abilities to express the ideas that define who you are and how you experience your life.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in resilience as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale	This 25-item scale addresses resilience, and has been studied in a variety of populations. Resilience is considered as the capacity to overcome adversity.	Baseline, 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Post-writing survey	This five-question survey is used after each writing exercise to measure how respondents reflect on their writing. This survey asks participants to respond to the first four questions using a 10-point Likert-type scale endorsing the degree to which each item reflects their thoughts and feeling about their writing. The fifth question asks for a free-response reflection on how they think and feel about how their writing went.	1 day (collected during the 1-day intervention)
Change in quality of life as measured by the Quality of Life Patient/Cancer Survivor Version (QOL-CSV)	The QOL-CSV is a 41-item ordinal scale measuring quality of life as a cancer patient that originated in use for pain research and was recently adapted for use in long-term cancer survivorship. This survey asks participants to measure their quality of life in terms of the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of well-being.	Baseline, 6 months
Change in perceived stress as measured by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10)	The PSS-10 is a well-known 10-item questionnaire used to evaluate responders' perceptions about their level of stress and their ability to cope with stress over the last month. Results from this questionnaire have demonstrated acceptable levels of validity and reliability. This inventory asks participants to respond using a 10-point Likert-type scale when endorsing the degree to which each item best reflects their thoughts and feelings within the past month.	Baseline, 6 months
Change in depression as measured by Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R)	The 20-item CESD-R is one of the most common screening tests that measures depressive feelings and behaviors within the past week.	Baseline, 6 months
Qualitative follow-up questionnaire	This qualitative follow-up questionnaire will be administered 6 months after the study intervention to capture participants' reflections on their experience in the study.	6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Duke University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 19, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 14, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): May 14, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 19, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 19, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): November 21, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 25, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 24, 2020
• Last Verified: November 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: Pro00101278

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