Writing About Experiences With Ovarian Cancer

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Ovarian Cancer
• Interventions: Behavioral: Expressive Writing; Behavioral: Fact Writing (Control)

• Registration Number: NCT02593422
• Lead Sponsor: University of Maryland, College Park

Brief Summary

This online study aims to understand whether writing about one's experiences with ovarian cancer may be beneficial for psychological and physical wellbeing in women with a history of ovarian cancer. Investigators are also interested in studying how certain individual characteristics may impact the effectiveness of writing. Participants will be asked to complete an initial survey (15 min), followed by writing about their experiences with ovarian cancer on four occasions (20 - 25 min each), over the course of two weeks. A final survey (10 min) will be completed one month afterwards.

Detailed Description

The purpose of this randomized controlled experiment is to examine the effects of writing about experiences with ovarian cancer on psychological and physical outcomes in English-speaking women with a history of ovarian cancer. It will also examine how certain individual characteristics may impact the effectiveness of the writing interventions for different women. After completing an initial survey, women will be asked to write about their experiences with ovarian cancer on 4 separate occasions of 20-25 min each in the course of 2 weeks. A final survey will be completed one month after the last writing session. The entire study will be conducted online.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-04
• Study First Submitted: 2015-10-26
• Study First Submitted QC: 2015-10-29
• Study First Posted: 2015-11-01
• Primary Completion: 2016-12
• Study Completion: 2016-12
• Status Verified: 2022-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-05-16
• Last Update Posted: 2022-05-23

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 73

Inclusion Criteria

• Women with a history of ovarian cancer (any stage)
• At least 18 years old
• English-speaking/Can comfortably read and write in English
• Able to provide informed consent
• Internet access
• Valid email address
• Any region/country

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Exclusion Criteria

• Minors (younger than 18)
• Lack of English proficiency
• Inability to provide informed consent
• Male

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Expressive Writing	Expressive Writing	Writing about ovarian cancer: Participants will be asked to write about their deepest thoughts and emotions about their experience with ovarian cancer
Fact Writing (Control)	Fact Writing (Control)	Writing about ovarian cancer: Participants will be asked to write about the facts of their experience with ovarian cancer

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Psychological Functioning (Wellbeing/Distress)	6 - 9 weeks, with timely completion of writing: Initial survey (day 1), after 2nd writing task (week 1), after 4th writing task (week 2), and one month after last writing task (week 6)	Various aspects of social, emotional and functional wellbeing will be assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer-Ovarian measure (FACT-O, Version 4, Basen-Engquist et al, 2001). Distress about ovarian cancer will be assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES, Horowitz, Wilner \& Alvarez, 1979).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in Physical Wellbeing	6 - 9 weeks, with timely completion of writing: Initial survey (day 1), after 2nd writing task (week 1), after 4th writing task (week 2), and one month after last writing task (week 6)	Physical symptoms and concerns specific to ovarian cancer will be assessed using Functional Assessment of Cancer - Ovarian (FACT-O, Version 4, Basen-Engquist et al, 2001).
Changes in affect before and after writing about ovarian cancer	Prior to and after each of 4 writing tasks (weeks 1 - 2)	Positive and negative affect will be assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS, Watson, Clark \& Tellegen, 1988).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of Maryland, College Park; 🇺🇸 College Park, Maryland, United States