Study Results
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Basic Information
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COMPLETED
NA
178 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
2022-01-24
2022-09-01
Brief Summary
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The present study tests a novel expressive helping intervention that combines elements of expressive disclosure and prosocial writing. Expressive helping will be compared to traditional expressive disclosure and a neutral writing control condition in a sample of bereaved young adults. Participants (N=156) will be randomized to one of three conditions-expressive disclosure, expressive helping, or a neutral writing control-and complete three weekly 20-minute writing sessions. Measures of psychological distress, well-being, and hypothesized mediators will be administered before, immediately following (within 48 hours of the final writing session), one month, and two months after the writing sessions. It is hypothesized that the participants in the expressive helping condition will evidence greater increases in well-being and decreases in grief-related distress at the one and two-month follow-ups, as compared to the other two groups.
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Detailed Description
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Conditions
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Study Design
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RANDOMIZED
PARALLEL
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
SINGLE
Study Groups
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Expressive Disclosure
Participants will be instructed to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding their bereavement experience.
Expressive Disclosure
Prior to each writing session, participants will receive general instructions for completing the writing (e.g., write continuously for 20 minutes, do not worry about grammar, sentence structure, repetition), and be reminded that their writing will remain confidential. Three writing sessions will be spaced 1-2 weeks apart. A weekly writing prompt will instruct participants to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding their bereavement experience.
Expressive Helping
Participants will be instructed to write about their deepest thoughts and feeling surrounding their bereavement experience in their first two essays and to provide advice and support for someone who recently experienced a loss in their final essay.
Expressive Helping
Prior to each writing session, participants will receive general instructions for completing the writing (e.g., write continuously for 20 minutes, do not worry about grammar, sentence structure, repetition), and be reminded that their first two writing will remain confidential, and their final essay will be de-identified before being provided to newly bereaved young adults. Three writing sessions will be spaced 1-2 weeks apart. In the first two writing sessions, participants will receive a writing prompt that will instruct them to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding their bereavement experience. For the final writing session, participants will receive a writing prompt instructing them to provide advice and support for a newly bereaved young adult.
Fact-Writing
Participants will be instructed to write objectively about different time frames (e.g., routine for getting up in the morning, routine for going to sleep at night).
Fact-Writing
Prior to each writing session, participants will receive general instructions for completing the writing (e.g., write continuously for 20 minutes, do not worry about grammar, sentence structure, repetition), and be reminded that their writing will remain confidential. Three writing sessions will be spaced 1-2 weeks apart. A weekly writing prompt will instruct participants to write objectively about different time frames (e.g., routine for getting up in the morning, routine for going to sleep at night).
Interventions
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Expressive Disclosure
Prior to each writing session, participants will receive general instructions for completing the writing (e.g., write continuously for 20 minutes, do not worry about grammar, sentence structure, repetition), and be reminded that their writing will remain confidential. Three writing sessions will be spaced 1-2 weeks apart. A weekly writing prompt will instruct participants to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding their bereavement experience.
Expressive Helping
Prior to each writing session, participants will receive general instructions for completing the writing (e.g., write continuously for 20 minutes, do not worry about grammar, sentence structure, repetition), and be reminded that their first two writing will remain confidential, and their final essay will be de-identified before being provided to newly bereaved young adults. Three writing sessions will be spaced 1-2 weeks apart. In the first two writing sessions, participants will receive a writing prompt that will instruct them to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings surrounding their bereavement experience. For the final writing session, participants will receive a writing prompt instructing them to provide advice and support for a newly bereaved young adult.
Fact-Writing
Prior to each writing session, participants will receive general instructions for completing the writing (e.g., write continuously for 20 minutes, do not worry about grammar, sentence structure, repetition), and be reminded that their writing will remain confidential. Three writing sessions will be spaced 1-2 weeks apart. A weekly writing prompt will instruct participants to write objectively about different time frames (e.g., routine for getting up in the morning, routine for going to sleep at night).
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
2. Endorse having close relationship with loved one at time of their death (i.e., 5 or above on 1-10 likert scale with 1 being not at all close, and 10 being extremely close).
3. Endorse moderate to severe distress about the loss (i.e., 5 or above on 1-10 likert scale with 1 being not at all distressed, and 10 being extremely distressed).
4. Feel comfortable writing in English (due to the linguistic nature of the writing sessions).
5. Have access to the Internet and a computer to complete the assessments and writing sessions.
Exclusion Criteria
18 Years
26 Years
ALL
Yes
Sponsors
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University of California, Los Angeles
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Brittany Drake, MA, CPhil
Principal Investigator
Locations
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University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Countries
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References
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Ayduk O, Kross E. From a distance: implications of spontaneous self-distancing for adaptive self-reflection. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2010 May;98(5):809-29. doi: 10.1037/a0019205.
Boelen PA, Djelantik AAAMJ, de Keijser J, Lenferink LIM, Smid GE. Further validation of the Traumatic Grief Inventory-Self Report (TGI-SR): A measure of persistent complex bereavement disorder and prolonged grief disorder. Death Stud. 2019;43(6):351-364. doi: 10.1080/07481187.2018.1480546. Epub 2018 Jul 17.
Carver CS, Scheier MF, Weintraub JK. Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1989 Feb;56(2):267-83. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.56.2.267.
Eisenberg SA, Shen BJ, Schwarz ER, Mallon S. Avoidant coping moderates the association between anxiety and patient-rated physical functioning in heart failure patients. J Behav Med. 2012 Jun;35(3):253-61. doi: 10.1007/s10865-011-9358-0. Epub 2011 Jun 10.
Gruenewald TL, Tanner EK, Fried LP, Carlson MC, Xue QL, Parisi JM, Rebok GW, Yarnell LM, Seeman TE. The Baltimore Experience Corps Trial: Enhancing Generativity via Intergenerational Activity Engagement in Later Life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2016 Jul;71(4):661-70. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbv005. Epub 2015 Feb 25.
Keyes, C. L. M. (2009). Atlanta: Brief description of the mental health continuum short form (MHC-SF).
Libby LK, Eibach RP. Looking back in time: self-concept change affects visual perspective in autobiographical memory. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2002 Feb;82(2):167-79.
Pennebaker JW, Gonder-Frederick L, Stewart H, Elfman L, Skelton JA. Physical symptoms associated with blood pressure. Psychophysiology. 1982 Mar;19(2):201-10. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1982.tb02547.x. No abstract available.
Pilkonis PA, Choi SW, Reise SP, Stover AM, Riley WT, Cella D; PROMIS Cooperative Group. Item banks for measuring emotional distress from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS(R)): depression, anxiety, and anger. Assessment. 2011 Sep;18(3):263-83. doi: 10.1177/1073191111411667. Epub 2011 Jun 21.
Radloff, L. S. (1977). The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied psychological measurement, 1(3), 385-401.
Ross M, Wilson AE. It feels like yesterday: self-esteem, valence of personal past experiences, and judgments of subjective distance. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2002 May;82(5):792-803.
Stanton AL, Kirk SB, Cameron CL, Danoff-Burg S. Coping through emotional approach: scale construction and validation. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000 Jun;78(6):1150-69. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.78.6.1150.
Weinberg, N., Uken, J. S., Schmale, J., & Adamek, M. (1995). Therapeutic factors: Their presence in a computer-mediated support group. Social Work with Groups, 18, 57-69.
Yalom, I. D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy. Basic Books.
Other Identifiers
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21-001728
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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