OBJECTIVE: This pilot study explored the feasibility and the efficacy of a brief, well-defined psychosocial intervention (expressive disclosure) in improving behavioral, medical, immunological, and emotional health outcomes in @entity1 with diagnosed @entity263 . METHOD: Thirty @entity263 @entity1 receiving outpatient oncology care were randomized into experimental (disclosure) and control (non-disclosure) groups. All had been previously treated by surgery or radiation within the last 4 years and were being monitored without further intervention for change in @entity11179 levels. Psychological and physical health surveys were administered and peripheral blood for @entity11179 levels and immune assays was obtained upon study enrollment and again at 3 and 6 months post enrollment. Multivariate analyses were used to examine how the expressive disclosure impacted the hypothesized domains of functioning: physical and psychological symptoms; health care utilization; and immunocompetence. RESULTS: Compared to controls, @entity1 in the expressive disclosure condition showed improvements in the domains of physical symptoms and health care utilization, but not in psychological variables nor in disease relevant aspects of immunocompetence. CONCLUSIONS: Study results support the feasibility of an expressive disclosure intervention for @entity1 with @entity263 . The intervention was well accepted by this population, and participation/adherence was quite high. Results provide only limited support for the hypothesis that a written emotional disclosure task can positively impact health outcomes in a @entity5 population. However, this pilot study may have lacked adequate power to detect possible intervention benefits. Further studies with larger samples are needed to better assess the intervention's impact on psychological well-being and immunocompetence.

Expressive disclosure and health outcomes in a XXXX population.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'men'] @entity263 :: ('MESH:D011471', 'Disease') :: ['prostate cancer'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancer'] @entity11179 :: ('9520', 'Gene') :: ['PSA']
@entity263 :: (MESH:D011471,Disease) :: ['prostate cancer']
