None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of the proposed study is to evaluate whether a self-compassion-focused writing exercise, (“My Changed Body”), can decrease levels of distress among women with lymphoedema Who is it for? You may be eligible to join this study if you are a woman aged 18 years or over and have cancer related lymphoedema. Study details Study participants will be allocated by chance to one of the two groups. One group will receive general lymphoedema information as per usual care. This contains information about lymphoedema prevalence, reducing the risk, and self management strategies . The second group will receive a writing exercise. The writing exercise consists of 6 steps (total 30 minutes) with structured prompts that will encourage the writer to be kind; to consider how they would support a friend in the same circumstances; and to look at their feelings from a broader perspective Study questionnaires will be completed up to six months past intervention completion to assess self-compassion and sexual functioning. This is a significant project because lymphoedema is a prevalent side-effect of cancer treatment, is incurable and leads to concerning levels of psychological morbidity, which may be alleviated by a simple, low-cost writing exercise.
Interventions
The “My Changed Body” (MCB) intervention entails a writing exercise designed to enhance self-compassion. It assists an individual to develop self-warmth through personal and self-supportive disclosure.
PROCEDURE: To achieve this, the expressive writing exercise is structured in a way to mitigate the self-criticism associated with poor body image and this is achieved by the provision of 6 structured prompts that encourage the writer to be kind; to consider how they would support a friend in the
The “My Changed Body” (MCB) intervention entails a writing exercise designed to enhance self-compassion. It assists an individual to develop self-warmth through personal and self-supportive disclosure. PROCEDURE: To achieve this, the expressive writing exercise is structured in a way to mitigate the self-criticism associated with poor body image and this is achieved by the provision of 6 structured prompts that encourage the writer to be kind; to consider how they would support a friend in the same circumstances; and to look at their feelings from a broader perspective. The writing exercise will be provided online after the participant completed the questionnaire and read the general lymphoedema information (standard care). The writing exercise would take approximately 30 minutes and is only presented at baseline,
Sponsors
Professor Carlene Wilson
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Females who have some concern (such as distress, body image disturbance, anxiety, depression) about their cancer related lymphoedema .
Exclusion criteria
non-cancer related lymphoedema under 18 no access to internet or email
Outcome results
None listed