Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors.
<h4>Background</h4>This study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the health benefits of expressive writing that is culturally adapted for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors (BCSs) and to characterize how acculturation moderates the effects of expressive writing inter...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309138 |
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| author | Qian Lu Di Lun Lenna Dawkins-Moultin Yisheng Li Minxing Chen Sharon Hermes Giordano James W Pennebaker Lucy Young Carol Wang |
| author_facet | Qian Lu Di Lun Lenna Dawkins-Moultin Yisheng Li Minxing Chen Sharon Hermes Giordano James W Pennebaker Lucy Young Carol Wang |
| author_sort | Qian Lu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>This study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the health benefits of expressive writing that is culturally adapted for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors (BCSs) and to characterize how acculturation moderates the effects of expressive writing interventions.<h4>Methods</h4>We will recruit Chinese immigrant BCSs (N = 240) diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer and within 5 years of completion of primary treatment. Recruitment will occur primarily through community-based organizations and cancer registries. Participants will be randomly assigned either to a control condition to write about neutral topics or to one of two intervention conditions, self-regulation or self-cultivation, both of which aim to promote adaptive cognitive processes but differ in how they achieve this goal. The self-regulation intervention culturally adapts a Western expressive writing paradigm and incorporates emotional disclosure, whereas the self-cultivation intervention originates from Asian cultural values without disclosing emotions. Participants in all three conditions will be asked to write in their preferred language for three 30-minute sessions. The primary outcome will be quality of life (QOL) at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups, and the secondary outcomes will be perceived stress, stress biomarkers, and medical appointments for cancer-related morbidities.<h4>Discussion</h4>This project will be the first large RCT to test culturally based brief interventions to improve QOL and reduce stress among Chinese immigrant BCSs. This project is expected to address two important needs of Chinese immigrant BCSs: their unmet psychological needs and the lack of culturally competent mental health care for Chinese immigrant BCSs. The immediate product of this line of research will be empirically evaluated, culturally responsive interventions ready for dissemination to Chinese immigrant BCSs across the United States.<h4>Clinicaltrials.gov identifier</h4>NCT04754412. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c33880c02ccc43499f7df2f519ff5b62 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-c33880c02ccc43499f7df2f519ff5b622025-08-20T03:28:18ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01199e030913810.1371/journal.pone.0309138Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors.Qian LuDi LunLenna Dawkins-MoultinYisheng LiMinxing ChenSharon Hermes GiordanoJames W PennebakerLucy YoungCarol Wang<h4>Background</h4>This study uses a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the health benefits of expressive writing that is culturally adapted for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors (BCSs) and to characterize how acculturation moderates the effects of expressive writing interventions.<h4>Methods</h4>We will recruit Chinese immigrant BCSs (N = 240) diagnosed with stage 0-III breast cancer and within 5 years of completion of primary treatment. Recruitment will occur primarily through community-based organizations and cancer registries. Participants will be randomly assigned either to a control condition to write about neutral topics or to one of two intervention conditions, self-regulation or self-cultivation, both of which aim to promote adaptive cognitive processes but differ in how they achieve this goal. The self-regulation intervention culturally adapts a Western expressive writing paradigm and incorporates emotional disclosure, whereas the self-cultivation intervention originates from Asian cultural values without disclosing emotions. Participants in all three conditions will be asked to write in their preferred language for three 30-minute sessions. The primary outcome will be quality of life (QOL) at the 6- and 12-month follow-ups, and the secondary outcomes will be perceived stress, stress biomarkers, and medical appointments for cancer-related morbidities.<h4>Discussion</h4>This project will be the first large RCT to test culturally based brief interventions to improve QOL and reduce stress among Chinese immigrant BCSs. This project is expected to address two important needs of Chinese immigrant BCSs: their unmet psychological needs and the lack of culturally competent mental health care for Chinese immigrant BCSs. The immediate product of this line of research will be empirically evaluated, culturally responsive interventions ready for dissemination to Chinese immigrant BCSs across the United States.<h4>Clinicaltrials.gov identifier</h4>NCT04754412.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309138 |
| spellingShingle | Qian Lu Di Lun Lenna Dawkins-Moultin Yisheng Li Minxing Chen Sharon Hermes Giordano James W Pennebaker Lucy Young Carol Wang Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors. PLoS ONE |
| title | Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors. |
| title_full | Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors. |
| title_fullStr | Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors. |
| title_short | Study protocol for writing to heal: A culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for Chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors. |
| title_sort | study protocol for writing to heal a culturally based brief expressive writing intervention for chinese immigrant breast cancer survivors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0309138 |
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