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Effect of Group Led Creative Writing on Mood in Cancer Patients

NCT03536702 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2020-10-20

Study results available
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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.

Conditions

  • Cancer Patients

Interventions

OTHER

Creative Writing Workshop

This group will participate in a writing workshop in group sessions.

OTHER

Independent Writing - Control Group

This group will receive a book for a self writing session.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Monika Joshi, MD · Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
20 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2018-03-28
Primary Completion
2018-11-16
Completion
2018-11-16

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT03536702 on ClinicalTrials.gov