Emotional Expression and Psychological Adjustment to Prostate Cancer: A Brief Intervention for Patients and Their Partners

Abstract

The current study examines he effects of a psychological intervention that encourages emotional expression in prostate cancer patients and their partners. Prostate cancer patients (n+l30) and their partners are randomly assigned to an intervention or a control group. Following Pennebaker's model, subjects in the intervention group are asked to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings regarding their cancer experience for 20 minutes each day for these consecutive days. The control group is asked to write about trivial non-emotional topics. Outcome variables including psychological distress, quality of life, and physical symptoms is assessed at baseline and over a period of nine months after the intervention (one week, three, six, and nine months) In accordance with our approved Statement of Work data collection is currently underway. To date 142 subjects have been enrolled and are at various stages of the data collection process. Data processing is continuing as planned, including data entry and verification, which has been completed for all subjects currently enrolled in the project. Preliminary data analyses are being conducted.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA425104

Entities

People

  • Sandra G. Zakowski

Organizations

  • Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Behavioral Medicine
  • Biomedical Research
  • Cancer
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Processing
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Health Services
  • Intervention
  • Medical Personnel
  • Neoplasms
  • Personnel Management
  • Prostate
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Psychological Adaptation
  • Quality Of Life
  • Regression Analysis
  • Societies

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Business Analytics
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.