Bosom Buddies: A Practical Model of Expressive Disclosure

Carey, Leah

doi:10.1207/s15430154jce2004_15

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The evidence of change reported in weekly writing sessions of the LCCC Arts and Humanities writing program is similar to theoretical and empirical evidence documenting psy-chological growth and/or finding benefit after the experience of a trauma, including cancer [16 -20]. Recent successful implementation of expressive writing and the arts into clinical care further supports the need to empirically test the expressive writing paradigm within a clinical setting [21,22]. As noted by Pennebaker, the health benefits of writing have been empirically supported through research conducted in the laboratory [23].…”

Section: Implementation Of a Pilot Writing Program In An Oncology CLIsupporting

confidence: 60%

“…The present study suggests that expressive writing can be successfully conducted within a busy oncology clinic and provides support for future efforts to move beyond efficacy studies of expressive writing into community-and clinicbased effectiveness trials. Moreover, integration of expressive writing programs into existing supportive care or arts programs for individuals with cancer is likely a worthwhile endeavor [11,20,21]. Translating research evidence into empirically supported clinical care is an important step toward improving the psychological and physical health of people with cancer.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This foundation of empirical support warrants testing of expressive writing in the clinical setting, moving from efficacy to effectiveness trials [23]. Given the positive experiences with writing as a clinical tool in the Arts and Humanities program and other clinical writing programs [20,21], a busy cancer clinic filled with noise and interruptions appeared to be an excellent place to test the feasibility of writing and begin exploring its potential benefits beyond the more controlled conditions of the laboratory.…”

Section: Implementation Of a Pilot Writing Program In An Oncology CLImentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Implementing an Expressive Writing Study in a Cancer Clinic

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Patients at a comprehensive cancer center have participated in a weekly writing program for 7 years. Anecdotal evidence following writing in this clinical setting appeared congruent with the results of expressive writing studies conducted in laboratory settings. To move expressive writing research beyond the laboratory, we evaluated the feasibility of engaging a clinical population in a structured expressive writing task while they waited for an appointment in a cancer clinic. Adult leukemia and lymphoma patients (n ‫؍‬ 71) completed a baseline assessment, 20-minute writing task, postwriting assessment, and 3-week follow-up; 88% completed the writing task and 56% completed the follow-up. Participants reported positive responses to the writing, and immediately postwriting about half (49.1%) reported that writing resulted in changes in their thoughts about their illness, while 53.8% reported changes in their thoughts at the 3-week follow-up. Reports of changes in thoughts about illness immediately postwriting were significantly associated with better physical quality of life at follow-up, controlling for baseline quality of life. Initial qualitative analyses of the texts identified themes related to experiences of positive change/transformation following a cancer diagnosis. Findings support the feasibility of conducting expressive writing with a clinical population in a nonlaboratory setting. Cancer patients were receptive to expressive writing and reported changes in the way they thought about their illness following writing. These preliminary findings indicate that a single, brief writing exercise is related to cancer patients' reports of improved quality of life. The Oncologist

show abstract

Section: Implementation Of a Pilot Writing Program In An Oncology CLIsupporting

confidence: 60%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implementation Of a Pilot Writing Program In An Oncology CLImentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Implementing an Expressive Writing Study in a Cancer Clinic

et al. 2008

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Prostate Cancer Survivors as Community Health Educators: Implications for Informed Decision Making and Cancer Communication

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recent evidence questioning the effectiveness of prostate-specific antigen testing leave community-based prostate cancer (CaP) outreach programs with a dilemma between promoting screening and highlighting screening risks. CaP survivors are uniquely positioned to address this problem by drawing upon real-life experiences to share nuanced information and perspectives. While CaP survivors have historically been incorporated into outreach programs, little is known about their impact on psychosocial outcomes and their effectiveness compared to professional health educators. This study addressed these gaps through a quasi-experimental design where African American men attended a CaP screening session conducted by a health educator (HE) or survivor educator (SV). The presentation included prostate cancer statistics, CaP information, and descriptions of CaP screening tests. SV were encouraged to bolster their presentations with personal stories whereas HE maintained fidelity to the curriculum content. All participants completed pre- and post-test questionnaires. Our sample comprised a total of 63 participants (HE group = 32; SV group = 31) with an age range of 40-70 years. Decision self-efficacy increased significantly in the SV group (p = 0.01) whereas perceived screening risks reduced significantly in the HE group (p < 0.001). No significant changes were found in knowledge, subjective norms, outcome expectancies, and screening benefits. Survivor educators were found to have significantly greater appeal (p = 0.03), identification with audience (p = 0.01), and liking (p = 0.03). Training CaP survivors as health educators might be a viable strategy for community-based cancer communication efforts confronted by the CaP screening controversy. We discuss conceptual and programmatic implications of our findings and present directions for future research.

show abstract