Expressive Writing in Male Infertility

NCT ID: NCT00385346

Last Updated: 2010-06-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

56 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2006-11-30

Study Completion Date

2009-02-28

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether expressive writing can be effective in improving the well-being and sperm quality in patients with male infertility.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Expressive writing is a therapeutic intervention designed by the psychologist James W. Pennebaker. Individuals write on three days for about 20 minutes about particularly stressful experiences in their life. Several studies showed that expressive writing can have beneficial effects on the frequency of health care utilization and well-being. Particularly in patients with rheumatism, kidney cancer and posttraumatic stress disorder expressive writing showed an positive effect on subjective well-being. Furthermore, in several studies expressive writing showed a positive effect on immune parameters.

As many studies suggest an important negative effect of stress on well-being and sperm parameters in male infertility, we want to investigate the effect of expressive writing in male infertility.The expressive writing condition is compared to a non emotional writing condition, in which individuals write about mainly non emotional topics such as time management. In this randomized-controlled trial subjects were allocated sequentially by block wise randomization (block size of 4). For randomization a computer generated random list was used. The allocation was concealed in a series of numbered sealed envelopes. The envelope was opened immediately before the first writing session.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Infertility, Male

Keywords

Explore important study keywords that can help with search, categorization, and topic discovery.

Expressive writing Male infertility

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

A 1

Expressive writing

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Expressive writing

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patients in the intervention group write on three day for 20 minutes about highly emotional topics In the control group patients write on three days for 20 minutes about topics with relatively low emotional involvement such as diet, time management and sport.

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Expressive writing

Patients in the intervention group write on three day for 20 minutes about highly emotional topics In the control group patients write on three days for 20 minutes about topics with relatively low emotional involvement such as diet, time management and sport.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Male infertile patients with a pathological spermiogram according to WHO criteria

Exclusion Criteria

* Drugs affecting sperm quality
* Patients with chromosomal anomalies affecting sperm quality (e.g. Klinefelter- Syndrome)
* Severe Psychiatric disorder defined as psychotic disorder (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) or substance-related disorder
* Patients currently in psychotherapeutic or psychiatric therapy
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

55 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University Hospital, Bonn

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

University of Bonn

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Reinhard Liedtke, MD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

University of Bonn, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

University of Bonn, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine

Bonn, , Germany

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Germany

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Smyth J, Helm R. Focused expressive writing as self-help for stress and trauma. J Clin Psychol. 2003 Feb;59(2):227-35. doi: 10.1002/jclp.10144.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12552631 (View on PubMed)

de Moor C, Sterner J, Hall M, Warneke C, Gilani Z, Amato R, Cohen L. 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. Health Psychol. 2002 Nov;21(6):615-9. doi: 10.1037//0278-6133.21.6.615.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12433015 (View on PubMed)

Petrie KJ, Fontanilla I, Thomas MG, Booth RJ, Pennebaker JW. Effect of written emotional expression on immune function in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection: a randomized trial. Psychosom Med. 2004 Mar-Apr;66(2):272-5. doi: 10.1097/01.psy.0000116782.49850.d3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 15039514 (View on PubMed)

Pennebaker JW. The effects of traumatic disclosure on physical and mental health: the values of writing and talking about upsetting events. Int J Emerg Ment Health. 1999 Winter;1(1):9-18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 11227757 (View on PubMed)

Richards JM, Beal WE, Seagal JD, Pennebaker JW. Effects of disclosure of traumatic events on illness behavior among psychiatric prison inmates. J Abnorm Psychol. 2000 Feb;109(1):156-60. doi: 10.1037//0021-843x.109.1.156.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 10740948 (View on PubMed)

Petrie KJ, Booth RJ, Pennebaker JW. The immunological effects of thought suppression. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1998 Nov;75(5):1264-72. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.75.5.1264.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 9866186 (View on PubMed)

Petrie KJ, Booth RJ, Pennebaker JW, Davison KP, Thomas MG. Disclosure of trauma and immune response to a hepatitis B vaccination program. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1995 Oct;63(5):787-92. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.63.5.787.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 7593871 (View on PubMed)

Pennebaker JW, Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Glaser R. Disclosure of traumas and immune function: health implications for psychotherapy. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1988 Apr;56(2):239-45. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.56.2.239. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 3372832 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

Lfd.Nr.068/06

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id