A pilot study of the effects of expressive writing on psychological and behavioral adjustment in patients enrolled in a Phase II trial of vaccine therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
Forty-two patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who were participating in a Phase II clinical trial were randomly assigned to an expressive writing (EW) or neutral writing (NW) group. Patients in the EW group wrote about their cancer, and patients in the NW group wrote about health behaviors. No statistically significant group differences were found in symptoms of distress, perceived stress, or mood disturbance, except for the Vigor subscale of the Profile of Mood States. However, patients in the EW group reported significantly less sleep disturbance, better sleep quality and sleep duration, and less daytime dysfunction compared with patients in the NW group. The results suggest that EW may have sleep-related health benefits in terminally ill cancer patients.
de Moor
Carl
C
Department of Behavioral Science, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA. cdemoor@manderson.org
Sterner
Janet
J
Hall
Martica
M
Warneke
Carla
C
Gilani
Zunera
Z
Amato
Robert
R
Cohen
Lorenzo
L
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014956:Writing