Effect of Group Led Creative Writing on Mood in Cancer Patients
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Cancer Patients
- Sponsor
- Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
- Enrollment
- 60
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Emotional Thermometer Subscale 1- Distress at Final
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 5 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The primary purpose of this study is to determine whether creative writing in newly diagnosed cancer patients and those with recent progression in their disease will have a positive impact on their mental health. Using a randomized controlled trial approach, emotion thermometers will be employed to evaluate participants' responses on a number of domains, such as anxiety, depression, despair, and anger along with a series of survey questions to monitor changes in depressive and anxiety symptoms. Open-ended survey questions will be used to capture how a creative writing intervention impacts participants' experience of their illness. Melissa Greene's Write from the Heart program focuses more on creative writing rather than cancer focused topics. Patients in the intervention arm will complete -one and a half hour group sessions every two weeks over the span of 3 months. Participants in the active control arm will be provided a book (i.e., Writing Down Bones by Natalie Goldberg) about creative writing and will be asked to do activities for 1.5 hrs every 2 weeks for a period of 3 months.
Detailed Description
Mental wellness before and after intervention in both arms. A validated Emotional Thermometer Scales will be used to predict changes in parameters reflecting participants' mental health pre- and post-intervention. Survey questions focused on symptoms of depression and anxiety will be used to monitor for changes in mental wellness pre- and post-intervention.
Investigators
Monika Joshi
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Newly diagnosed with any stage or type of cancer within 3 months OR progression of disease within 3 months of enrollment. Recurrence of cancer within 3 months of enrollment would also be eligible as it will be considered as progression of cancer Ability to understand English language and ability to write without any functional difficulty ECOG performance status 0-3
Exclusion Criteria
- •Inability to give informed consent Severe psychiatry illness (e.g., uncontrolled depression, schizophrenia or psychosis) Severe cognitive impairment Pregnant females Inability to write or understand English
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Emotional Thermometer Subscale 1- Distress at Final
Time Frame: 4 months
Mood scores before and after intervention (after completion of entire session this may vary as some patients may not be able to complete six sessions). A validated Emotional Thermometer Scales (ETS) will be used to predict changes pre and post-intervention. The validated ETS has five dimensions (distress, anxiety, depression,anger, need help), which are all continuous variables and range from 0 to 10 with 0 being no emotional symptoms and 10 extremely emotional. Individual scores will be analyzed as well as a sum of the five scores will be collected to represent average mood score.
Emotional Thermometer Subscale 2 - Anxiety at Final
Time Frame: 4 months
Mood scores before and after intervention (after completion of entire session this may vary as some patients may not be able to complete six sessions). A validated Emotional Thermometer Scales (ETS) will be used to predict changes pre and post-intervention. The validated ETS has five dimensions (distress, anxiety, depression,anger, need help), which are all continuous variables and range from 0 to 10 with 0 being no emotional symptoms and 10 extremely emotional. Individual scores will be analyzed as well as a sum of the five scores will be collected to represent average mood score.
Emotional Thermometer Subscale 3 - Depression at Final
Time Frame: 4 months
Mood scores before and after intervention (after completion of entire session this may vary as some patients may not be able to complete six sessions). A validated Emotional Thermometer Scales (ETS) will be used to predict changes pre and post-intervention. The validated ETS has five dimensions (distress, anxiety, depression,anger, need help), which are all continuous variables and range from 0 to 10 with 0 being no emotional symptoms and 10 extremely emotional. Individual scores will be analyzed as well as a sum of the five scores will be collected to represent average mood score.re.
Emotional Thermometer Subscale 4-anger at Final
Time Frame: 4 months
Mood scores before and after intervention (after completion of entire session this may vary as some patients may not be able to complete six sessions). A validated Emotional Thermometer Scales (ETS) will be used to predict changes pre and post-intervention. The validated ETS has five dimensions (distress, anxiety, depression,anger, need help), which are all continuous variables and range from 0 to 10 with 0 being no emotional symptoms and 10 extremely emotional. Individual scores will be analyzed as well as a sum of the five scores will be collected to represent average mood score..
Emotional Thermometer Subscale 5-need Help at Final
Time Frame: 4 months
Mood scores before and after intervention (after completion of entire session this may vary as some patients may not be able to complete six sessions). A validated Emotional Thermometer Scales (ETS) will be used to predict changes pre and post-intervention. The validated ETS has five dimensions (distress, anxiety, depression,anger, need help), which are all continuous variables and range from 0 to 10 with 0 being no emotional symptoms and 10 extremely emotional. Individual scores will be analyzed as well as a sum of the five scores will be collected to represent average mood score.
Emotional Thermometer Score (Total) at Final
Time Frame: 4 months
Mood scores before and after intervention (after completion of entire session this may vary as some patients may not be able to complete six sessions). A validated Emotional Thermometer Scales (ETS) will be used to predict changes pre and post-intervention. The validated ETS has five dimensions (distress, anxiety, depression,anger, need help), which are all continuous variables and range from 0 to 10 with 0 being no emotional symptoms and 10 extremely emotional. Individual scores will be analyzed as well as a sum of the five scores will be collected to represent average mood score.score.
Secondary Outcomes
- Depression Symptoms(4 months)
- Anxiety Symptoms(4 months)
- Self Reported Somatic Symptoms at Final(4 months)
- Depression Symptoms at Final(4 months)