Faith-Based African American Cancer Survivorship Storytelling
Condition: Cancer
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an
      intervention (viewing of video recordings) designed to reduce psychological distress among
      African Americans during treatment for cancer. This knowledge will inform a larger test of an
      intervention.
    

Detailed description: 
      This study addresses a need to integrate spirituality with cancer care as requested among
      African Americans. In the PI's research with African Americans, a dominant mental health
      promoting strategy used in response to a cancer diagnosis is the use of religious stories and
      songs. African Americans have a strong cultural history of relying on religious stories and
      songs to overcome oppression and mental suffering encountered in their lived experience. If
      successful, the findings from this preliminary study will contribute to the evidence that
      spirituality is important to cancer care and to achieving optimal patient outcomes among this
      medically underserved population. More importantly, the infusion of spirituality in cancer
      care has to potential to reduce the high levels of psychological distress experienced among
      African Americans and FCG's; to enable them to become more engaged in their cancer care and
      in supportive family relationships; and, ultimately to improve the overall quality of life
      for African American cancer patients and FCGs. The actual administration of the intervention
      (viewing of video recordings) will take approximately 30 minutes with all sessions to occur
      over a 3 week period. The intervention will consist of participants viewing a selection of
      video recorded vignettes during 3 weekly sessions. The vignettes are of actual African
      American cancer survivors narrating stories of ways in which hymns can be used to overcome
      their anxieties and depressed moods through the use of a hymn.
    

Intervention name(s): Faith-Based African American Cancer Survivorship Storytelling Intervention
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The intervention will consist of participants viewing a selection of video recorded vignettes during 3 weekly sessions. There will be 5 vignettes included in each session with each vignette edited to a real time of 3-4 minutes (each session is 30 minutes). Since the intervention is designed to be self-administered, there will be a video recorded introduction and instructions for use narrated by the PI. The vignettes are of actual African American cancer survivors narrating stories of ways in which hymns can be used to overcome their anxieties and depressed moods through the use of a hymn. The hymns included represent exemplars from the 5 themes prevalent in the PI's previous research
Other intervention name(s): Hymns Intervention
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Behavioral research; Social research; Spirituality; Late stage cancer