Using expressive writing to explore thoughts and beliefs about cancer and treatment among Chinese American immigrant breast cancer survivors

Lü, Qian; Yeung, Nelson C. Y.; You, Jueng Soo; Dai, Jia Le

doi:10.1002/pon.3991

Cited by 31 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…However, the core difference between the two studies is that the women in China framed their decision‐making in terms of trusting the doctors, whereas the current study suggests women felt excluded and disrespected. Additionally, work from the United States and the UK suggests that Chinese patients with cancer often depend on their doctors to make medical decisions, however they may assert themselves if they perceive the proposed treatment as being too risky . Notably, the participants in the current study expressed dissatisfaction with their limited knowledge and involvement, indicating they may not have been entirely comfortable relying on their doctor as the decision‐maker.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Chinese‐Australian women with breast cancer call for culturally appropriate information and improved communication with health professionals

Levesque

Gerges

et al. 2019

Cancer Reports

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Background: For culturally and linguistically diverse patients, breast cancer presents complex physical, psychosocial, and health care challenges, often exacerbated by a lack of culturally appropriate information and communication barriers with the treating team (even with the help of interpreters).Aim: This qualitative study aims to broadly explore the experience of breast cancer and coping strategies utilized by Chinese-Australian women.Methods and results: Twenty-four Chinese-Australian women with breast cancer participated in either a semi-structured interview or a focus group conducted in participants' preferred language, audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis. Two prominent themes emerged, related to information seeking, and communication with health care professionals. The theme of information needs and seeking highlighted unmet information needs and the multiple sources that are consulted for information. The second theme, communication with health care professionals, language barriers, and preferences, identified varying degrees of involvement in treatment decision-making, preference for information and interactions in Cantonese or Mandarin, and problems with interpreter services.Conclusion: Chinese women with breast cancer face significant challenges in obtaining adequate information and can feel excluded from treatment decision-making. Women in this study expressed their eagerness for obtaining accurate information and engaging in open communication with their doctors. There is a need for culturally sensitive information resources and decision aids to enhance communication between Chinese migrant patients with cancer and health care professionals. Clinician participation in cultural awareness training is also recommended.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 82%

Chinese‐Australian women with breast cancer call for culturally appropriate information and improved communication with health professionals

Levesque

Gerges

et al. 2019

Cancer Reports

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“…Expressive writing has been shown to promote well-being and life quality following life adversities (Lu et al, 2016;Pennebaker, 1997). However, it remains unclear whether expressive writing promotes PTG following life adversities and how certain processes cope with life adversities.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies have shown that the use of cognitive words facilitates the reorganization and reappraisal of traumatic events, thereby resulting in a coherent narrative (Boals, 2012;Hussain, 2010). Previous research has found that expressive writing tends to facilitate the use of cognitive and insightful words to promote quality of life among Chinese breast cancer survivors (Lu et al, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of expressive writing and use of cognitive words on meaning making and post-traumatic Growth

Zheng

Lü

Gan

2019

Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology

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Expressive writing can enhance cognitive processing and improve stress regulation. Particularly, the use of cognitive words (i.e., insightful and causal words) in writing may be associated with the process of meaning making and promotion of post-traumatic growth (PTG). The aim of the present study was to determine how expressive writing and the use of causal and insightful cognitive words influenced meaning making and PTG during writing. In total, 52 traumatized university students were recruited and randomly assigned to one of two writing conditions involving either an expressive writing task or a neutral writing task. The results showed that participants who engaged in expressive (vs. neutral) writing showed higher scores on the presence of meaning and PTG in the post-writing, self-report questionnaires. Moreover, writing task (expressive or neutral) and frequency of causal and insightful cognitive words were both significant predictors of meaning, which in turn led to high levels of PTG. In conclusion, the use of causal and insightful words might be a fundamental cognitive process for developing meaning in writing, which is essential for our further understanding of meaning making and PTG.

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“…Health disparities persist and for many diseases and populations are registering disturbing increases (Williams, 2012) despite targeted efforts (Institute of Medicine, 2003, 2012) and ongoing research (Ashing et al, 2015; Best et al, 2015; Fleisher et al, 2016; Gwede et al, 2015; Lu et al, 2015; Meade et al, 2015; Sly et al, 2015). Recent reports document widening health inequities in overall life expectancy (Kochanek et al, 2015; Olshansky et al, 2012) and specific diseases such as a widening disparity in breast cancer mortality between African Americans 1 and whites (DeSantis et al, 2016), increasing diabetes incidence among individuals with the lowest income and education levels (Beckles & Chou, 2013), and worsening burden of sexually transmitted infections and cancer among men who have sex with men (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015; Quinn et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ConNECT Framework: a model for advancing behavioral medicine science and practice to foster health equity

et al. 2016

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Health disparities persist despite ongoing efforts. Given the United States’ rapidly changing demography and socio-cultural diversity, a paradigm shift in behavioral medicine is needed to advance research and interventions focused on health equity. This paper introduces the Con-NECT Framework as a model to link the sciences of behavioral medicine and health equity with the goal of achieving equitable health and outcomes in the twenty-first century. We first evaluate the state of health equity efforts in behavioral medicine science and identify key opportunities to advance the field. We then discuss and present actionable recommendations related to ConNECT’s five broad and synergistic principles: (1) Integrating Context; (2) Fostering a Norm of Inclusion; (3) Ensuring Equitable Diffusion of Innovations; (4) Harnessing Communication Technology; and (5) Prioritizing Specialized Training. The framework holds significant promise for furthering health equity and ushering in a new and refreshing era of behavioral medicine science and practice.

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Using expressive writing to explore thoughts and beliefs about cancer and treatment among Chinese American immigrant breast cancer survivors

Cited by 31 publications

References 9 publications

Chinese‐Australian women with breast cancer call for culturally appropriate information and improved communication with health professionals

Chinese‐Australian women with breast cancer call for culturally appropriate information and improved communication with health professionals

Effects of expressive writing and use of cognitive words on meaning making and post-traumatic Growth

The ConNECT Framework: a model for advancing behavioral medicine science and practice to foster health equity

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