Writing About Disease: Effect on Rehabilitation?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: COPD; Asthma

• Registration Number: NCT00251420
• Lead Sponsor: LHL Helse

Brief Summary

Therapeutic writing about one's emotions has been described previously (J Pennebaker: Emotions, disclosure and health. Am Psychol. Assoc 1995). The present project will compare the effects (if any) of writing about the emotional versus the physical consequences of lung disease on anxiety, perceived quality of life, and perceived health status.

Detailed Description

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients (age 35-70) and asthma patients (age 20-60) referred to a 4 weeks inpatient rehabilitation program - who agree to participate in the project - are randomly assigned to one of three conditions:

* Writing about emotional consequences of their disease before the program starts

* Writing about physical consequences of their disease before the program starts

* Not writing

All patients are measured (completing questionnaires at home) on: perceived quality of life, perceived health status and trait anxiety - 2 weeks before the program, 2 weeks after the program and 6 months after the program. FEV1 and 6 min walking distance are measured at the beginning and by the end of the program.

In addition to questionnaires, all patients are asked to:

* Write in their own words ( 2 weeks after) to evaluate their stay at the rehabilitation clinic; and

* Write in their own words (6 months after) about how the disease affects their life at that point.

Both quantitative and qualitative data will be used for analysis purposes.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2005-11-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2005-11-09
• Study First Posted: 2005-11-10
• Study Start: 2005-12
• Study Completion: 2007-12
• Status Verified: 2009-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2009-05-06
• Last Update Posted: 2009-05-07

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 180

Inclusion Criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of COPD (age between 35 and 70)
• Clinical diagnosis of asthma (age between 20 and 60)

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Quality of life	prospective
Perceived health status	prospective
Trait anxiety	prospective

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)	prospective
6-minute walking distance	prospective

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Glittreklinikken; 🇳🇴 Hakadal, Akershus, Norway