Evaluating the Framed Portrait Experience as an Intervention to Enhance Self-Efficacy and Self-Esteem in a Sample of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Results of a Pilot Study

Abstract

Cancer diagnosis and treatments negatively affect quality of life and developmental processes of adolescents and young adults (AYAs), with self-esteem, self-efficacy, and body image discomfort reported. Despite increasing awareness of the psychosocial issues experienced by this group, a paucity of psychosocial interventions has been developed. This study aims to investigate the Framed Portrait Experience (FPE) as an intervention to promote well-being among AYA cancer survivors. A pilot study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design. The sample included 18 AYA leukemia survivors. Individuals in the intervention group (n = 10) participated in the FPE, a psychosocial program consisting of two sessions. In the first one, starting from the illness narrative recollected by the individual, pictures representing the subject in meaningful contexts are taken. Then, a selected number of pictures are used in a second encounter with a therapist to integrate the disease within past, present, and future of the participant. Survivors in the comparison group (n = 8) were offered usual psychosocial care at the participating institute. Measures of personality traits, coping, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and body image were compared at pre-test and 3 months later. Significant differences in self-efficacy and self-esteem scores were identified at post-test between the intervention and comparison group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were identified for body self-esteem. These findings provide initial evidence supporting the FPE as a low-cost and easy-to-implement intervention to promote self-efficacy and self-esteem among AYA survivors. Further research with larger samples, with more rigorous designs, and different cancer types is needed.

The Correlation Between Quality of Life and Positive Psychological Resources in Cancer Patients: A Meta-Analysis

“…Evidence suggests that nurse-administered self-efficacy interventions given on five monthly occasions and designed to enhance patients’ self-care self-efficacy have significantly higher scores on quality of life and self-care self-efficacy than the control group and significantly less symptom distress ( Lev et al, 2001 ). Besides, beauty care interventions ( Richard et al, 2019 ) and Framed Portrait Experience interventions ( Saita and Acquati, 2020 ) are similar to enhancing self-esteem and self-efficacy among patients with cancer. Therefore, interventions based on state-like positive psychological constructs should be emphasized and developed in the field of oncology psychology to enhance the quality of life.…”

“Fear can hold you, hope can set you free”. Analysis of Italian prisoner narrative experience of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Previous research highlights how narratives can help people cope with a stressful experience ( Saita and Acquati, 2020 ) and can help researchers understand how people live life experiences ( McAdams, 2012 ). Narratives have been used in the forensic field and are considered effective in prison populations because they allow prisoners access to the world, and therefore, provide them with a sense of stability and unity ( Saita, 2018 ).…”

Influence of making a video cancer narrative in adolescents and young adults on factors impacting self-efficacy

“…AYAs who told their cancer narrative through digital media reported increased self-esteem and self-efficacy compared to AYAs who received standard psychosocial care only (Laing et al, 2017;Saita & Acquati, 2019). AYAs who made therapeutic music videos while undergoing stem cell transplantation perceived greater support from family and peers compared to controls (Robb et al, 2014).…”

“…Although storytelling has been a common cultural practice for centuries, given current digital trends, a growing body of research has investigated digital storytelling as a therapeutic approach that promotes AYA personal growth and positive emotional and physical health behaviors, similar to how expressive writing paradigms were used in the past. A host of literature exists detailing the influence of patient stories in improving cancer patient education and thus health behavior due to the sense of shared experience storytellers and viewers feel (Lucas et al, 2021;Pérez et al, 2014;Saita & Acquati, 2019). AYAs are often reluctant to engage in traditional psychotherapeutic models that foster development of personal growth and/or medical adherence due to negative perceptions of clinicians, worry about others' perceptions of their engagement in psychotherapy, challenges to beginning something new, and unwillingness to share emotional problems with clinicians (Eton et al, 2017).…”

“…Other characteristics of the study participant or related to the testing environment (e.g., filming in a hospital room vs. an exam room) may have also impacted content and thus outcomes. While the study was well powered for the analyses, the overall sample size was small and may have impacted ability to detect significant associations between variables of interest (e.g., impact of discussing the diagnosis process on view of relationships with providers, current (Boniel-Nissim & Barak, 2013;De Vecchi et al, 2016;Gucciardi et al, 2016;Johnson & Alderson, 2008;Laing et al, 2017;Ma et al, 2017;Miura & Yamashita, 2007;Pereira et al, 2017;Pérez et al, 2014;Robb et al, 2014;Saita & Acquati, 2019;Song et al, 2012;Tosone et al, 2005;Zamora et al, 2017).…”