Anxiety, Psychological Stress
Conditions
Keywords
emotional support, cancer
Brief summary
Cancer patients will be randomly shown one of 18 emotional support messages created by the research team that differ based on how much of the message consists of positive statements and how much consists of negative statements. The messages with negative statements also differ based on whether the negative statements occur at the start or end of the message. After viewing the message, participants have the opportunity to rate the effectiveness of the message, to what extent the message made them feel better, and to what extent the message affects how they view the message provider as a useful source of emotional support.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 1a
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the last 20% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 1b
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the first 20% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 2a
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the last 40% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 2b
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the first 40% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 3a
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the last 60% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 3b
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the first 60% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 4a
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the last 80% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
BEHAVIORALQuestionnaire 4b
Participants will be randomly shown two versions of messages in which the first 80% of the message consists of negative statements of criticism and rate of the effectiveness of the message.
Sponsors
San Diego State University
University of Arizona
University of Minnesota
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Inclusion criteria
* Participants must be 18 years of age or older * Participants with a diagnosis of breast, prostate, thoracic or digestive cancer in the past 3 years * Participants consented to Moffitt's Total Cancer Care (TCC) protocol and indicating a willingness to be contacted for future research by including an email contact. * Ability to read and write fluently in English
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Message Effectiveness Scale | Through study completion, up to 1 year | Perceptions of message effectiveness will be tested through 4 ANOVA models that will test for differences between participants who received different messages in terms of perceived message effectiveness. |
| Affective Improvement Scale | Through study completion, up to 1 year | Perceptions of message effectiveness will be tested through 4 ANOVA models that will test for differences between participants who received different messages in terms of self-reports of emotional improvement. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Supporter Competence Scale | Through study completion, up to 1 year | Perceptions of message effectiveness will be tested through 4 ANOVA models that will test for differences between participants who received different messages in terms of perceptions of supporter competence. |
| Likelihood of Seeking Support Scale | Through study completion, up to 1 year | Perceptions of message effectiveness will be tested through 4 ANOVA models that will test for differences between participants who received different messages in terms of their likelihood to seek support from the supporter in the future. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed