Clinical trial NCT04272346: Harnessing Generativity Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Official title: The Effects of Prosocial Writing on Psychological Well-being: An Online Randomized Controlled Trial Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Cancer
Young Adults
Lead sponsor: University of California, Los Angeles
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2020-02-17
Enrollment: 204
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 39
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: Short, online interventions designed to enhance well-being may be particularly amenable for use with adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors (age 15-39 at diagnosis), an understudied group in the cancer community. The benefits of psychological well-being on both physical and mental health outcomes are well-known and, in recent years, researchers and policymakers have begun to view the period of adolescence and young adulthood as a window of opportunity to instantiate lasting habits and behaviors. Growing evidence suggests that prosocial behavior-a behavior that can be reliably manipulated through a short online intervention-may have beneficial effects on well-being and physical health. This has yet to be tested in AYA cancer survivors.

Drawing from the literature on positive psychology and prosocial interventions, the proposed study will test the feasibility and efficacy of an 8-week online peer helping intervention designed to increase well-being among AYA cancer survivors. AYA cancer survivors (n = 176) will be recruited and randomized to one of three conditions: a peer helping condition, a cancer-specific writing plus peer helping condition, or a cancer-specific writing condition (control condition). The second group was added in response to a previous study, which found that writing about one's experience prior to helping other survivors may be more beneficial. Participants will complete a weekly writing activity once per week for 4 weeks, with instructions administered via a weekly email. Participants will also complete online assessments before, during, and after the 4-week intervention period.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* diagnosis of cancer (any type) between the ages of 15 and 39 years
* have completed primary treatment and are in remission (partial or complete)
* between the ages of 18 and 39 years
* fluent in English
* have access to the internet and email.

Exclusion Criteria:

-none

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in psychological well-being
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in depressive symptoms
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in anxiety
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in perceived impact of cancer
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in health-related quality of life
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in pain intensity and interference
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in cognitive functioning
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in sleep quality and disturbance
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in fatigue
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in social support
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in generativity
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in positive and negative affect
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at each writing session, at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
measure: Change in fulfillment of psychological needs
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (the day the intervention begins), at each writing session, at the post-intervention survey (1 week after the final writing assignment), and at the 1-month follow-up
Other outcomes:
measure: Prosocial Tendencies (Moderator)
timeFrame: At the baseline survey (on the day of the first writing activity)
Locations:
city: Los Angeles
country: United States
facility: University of California, Los Angeles
state: California
Study officials:
References: