ChronCan (Chronicling Cancer): Piloting a Novel Writing Intervention With Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Cancer Patients
- Sponsor
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Enrollment
- 26
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide
- Status
- Recruiting
- Last Updated
- 3 months ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Young people with cancer have difficult experiences and writing exercises may help improve their well-being. However, very few studies have examined how a creative writing activity might be useful for young people with cancer. In this pilot study, researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital hope to explore whether teenagers and young adults with cancer want to participate in a writing exercise and whether they find it to be valuable.
Primary Objective
To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a writing-based narrative medicine intervention for adolescent and young adult patients with cancer.
Detailed Description
Participants will be given the opportunity to write about their experiences with cancer, with support and guidance from an expert writer. Participants will meet briefly with the expert at the start of the exercise (15-30 minutes), and they can choose to meet 1-3 additional times with the expert over the next 2 months to receive further support if they wish. After completing the writing exercise, participants will do an informal interview to share their thoughts about whether the experience of writing felt helpful or not. The post-intervention interview will occur at around 2 months after enrollment, +/- 1 month. Patients may participate in a second informal semi-structured interview 6 to 12 months after completing the first interview. Additionally, bereaved parents may participate in an informal interview on study.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Aged 15-25
- •Currently receiving cancer-directed therapy
- •Active patient at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- •Parent of a ChronCan participant who has passed away
Exclusion Criteria
- •Does not meet the inclusion criteria
- •If the parents have not responded or not interviewed till December 31, 2025.
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide
Time Frame: During the narrative exercise, up to 2 months after enrollment
To determine intervention feasibility, the number of touchpoints that participants have with the narrative medicine expert/guide will be tracked
Number of participants who complete the writing exercise
Time Frame: During the narrative exercise, up to 2 months after enrollment
To determine intervention feasibility, the number of participants who complete the writing exercise will be tracked
Intervention acceptability
Time Frame: Post-intervention interview will occur after the narrative exercise is completed at around 2 months after enrollment, +/- 1 month
Comparison of acceptability between participants who did/did not participate in the optional check-ins. Analysis of de-identified semi-structured interviews will be done. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed using content analysis, an inductive approach that includes memo-writing, codebook development, coding, reconciliation, and synthesis to identify emerging patterns and themes.