Cancer
Conditions
Brief summary
To learn more about the experiences of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and investigate whether a group-based writing intervention can help to improve quality of life of adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.
Detailed description
Primary Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a virtual, group-based expressive writing intervention for survivors of adolescent and young adult cancer. Secondary Objective: To preliminarily assess the impact of the study for cancer survivors.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALBehavioral Intervention
Write about cancer experiences
Sponsors
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 39 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age 15 - 39 years at cancer diagnosis * Age 18 - 39 years at study entry * Diagnosed between 1 and 5 years ago prior to enrollment * Can speak, read, and write in English
Exclusion criteria
* Nonmelanoma skin cancer * Major mental health disorder (e.g., schizophrenia or bipolar disorder \[determined from patient records or self-disclosure\]) * No internet access.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Study Completion Rate | At 1 month follow-up | The Study completion rate is defined as the average proportion of participants who complete follow-up assessments at 1-month follow-up. We will also calculate the 95% confidence intervals for the study completion rate. |
| Intervention Adherence Rate | At the end of intervention (week 8) | The intervention adherence rate will be calculated as the number of completed writing tasks divided by the total number of assigned tasks (4). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General | Baseline, and 1- and 3-month follow-up | The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General will be used to measure multidimensional quality of life, encompassing physical, social, emotional, and functional well-being, across 27 items. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 to 4. The overall score can range from 0 to 108, with higher scores indicating a better quality of life. |
| Perceived Stress | Baseline, and 1- and 3-month follow-up | The Perceived Stress scale will be used to measure perceived stress. This 4-item measure assesses the degree to which situations in one's life are appraised as stressful. The overall score can range from 0 to 16, with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress. |
| Coping self-efficacy | Baseline, and 1- and 3-month follow-up | The Cancer Behavior Inventory will be used to measure self-efficacy for coping with cancer. Each item is rated on a 9-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from 9 to 81, with higher scores indicating greater self-efficacy for coping with cancer. |
| Impact of Event Scale | Baseline, and 1- and 3-month follow-up | The 5-item intrusion subscale of the Impact of Event Scale will be used to assess unwanted thoughts related to cancer. Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from 0 to 25, with higher scores indicating a greater frequency and intensity of intrusive thoughts. |
| Common Humanity & Self-Kindness | Baseline, and 1- and 3-month follow-up | Common Humanity and Self-Kindness will be measured using the subscales of the Self-Compassion Scale. These subscales capture positive aspects of self-compassion, including self-kindness (e.g., "When I am going through a very hard time, I give myself the caring and tenderness I need") and common humanity (e.g., "When I am down and out, I remind myself that there are lots of other people in the world feeling like me"). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The total score for each subscale ranges from 5 to 25, with higher scores indicating a stronger sense of common humanity and self-kindness. |
| Posttraumatic growth | Baseline, and 1- and 3-month follow-up | The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory will be used to assess perceived positive changes as a result of a specific traumatic event. It includes 9 items, each rated on a 6-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from 0 to 45, with higher scores indicating greater perceived posttraumatic growth. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORQian Lu, MD,PHD
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Outcome results
None listed