Couples Coping With Multiple Chronic Medical Conditions

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Handling of complex health situations (as defined by multimorbidity) in partnership: communication between romantic partners; subjective illness perception; coping with stressful experiences due to multimorbidity. Intervention : Expressive Writing about subjective illness perception vs. Writing about individual Time-Management Primary Endpoint: subjective Health (e.g. SF 12 questionnaire) Secondary Endpoints: Psychosocial Adjustments (Depression, somatic symptoms, quality of partnership and others)

Detailed Description
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Coping in complex health situations (as defined by multimorbidity) and the role of relationship processes for psycho-social adaption: The study investigates interpersonal emotion regulation, disclosure, and illness perceptions in couples with a multimorbid patient. The intervention consists in 3 self-applied solitary written disclosure sessions (expressive writing), the control condition are 3 sessions writing about individual time-management (placebo). Primary endpoint: subjective health (SF 12 questionnaire) Secondary endpoint: psychosocial adjustments (depression, positive and negative affect, somatic symptoms, adjustment disorder, marital satisfaction, sleep quality)

Official Title
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Couples Coping With Multimorbidity: Does Solitary Expressive Writing Foster Psycho-social Adaptation?

Conditions
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Chronic Disease, Illness Behavior

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Expressive Writing


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion criteria: Age 18 or older multimorbid condition (two or more chronic medical conditions) patients living with romantic partner very good oral and written command in German written consent for participation by patient and partner Exclusion criteria: Pregnancy Mini Mental State less than 26 Substance Abuse Patients in Palliative Situation Patients isolated due to infectious diseases Patients participating in other clinical trials within the last 4 weeks before inclusion

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Placebo Comparator: No Intervention<br>The control condition are 3 sessions writing about individual time-management (placebo). | Behavioral: Expressive Writing<br>* The intervention consists in 3 self-applied solitary written disclosure sessions (expressive writing)<br>|
| Active Comparator: Expressive Writing<br>The intervention consists in 3 self-applied solitary written disclosure sessions (expressive writing). | Behavioral: Expressive Writing<br>* The intervention consists in 3 self-applied solitary written disclosure sessions (expressive writing)<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subjective health (SF-12) |  | 3 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Psychosocial adjustments | depression, positive and negative affect, somatic symptoms, adjustment disorder, marital satisfaction, sleep quality | 3 months |