The Therapeutic Effect of Expressive Writing.
The Therapeutic Effect of Expressive Writing in People Living With and Beyond Cancer.
Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust
50 participants
Dec 22, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to understand the impact of compassionate expressive writing in people living with and beyond cancer. The main question it aims to answer is: Does compassionate expressive writing have any impact on well-being outcomes in people living with and beyond cancer, such as body compassion, self-compassion, quality of life and psychological well-being outcomes ? Researchers will compare compassionate expressive writing with a standard expressive writing task (with no compassionate prompt) to see if there is a difference in self-reported body compassion, self-compassion, quality of life and psychological well-being outcomes between the two conditions. Participants will : Complete a series of pre-intervention questionnaires. Be assigned to one of the two writing conditions. Attend four expressive writing sessions and write freely for approximately 20 minutes in response to a topic related to their cancer experience. Complete a series of post-intervention questionnaires. Repeat the questionnaires at 1-month follow-up.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria4
- To have experienced an internal or external change to their body due to any form of cancer and/or its treatment at any point in their lives.
- To be 18 or older.
- The ability to read and write in English.
- To have the ability to provide informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria3
- Distress levels that make participation safe or inappropriate due to cancer prognosis or a mental health condition. (This is flagged by the score on the IES questionnaire.)
- Inability to realistically commit to a 4-week intervention due to poor physical or mental health or other personal commitments.
- Inability to provide informed consent.
Interested in this trial?
Get notified about updates and connect with the research team.
Interventions
A 20-minute practitioner-led expressive writing session that involves the practitioner introducing a topic related to cancer such as, the impact of diagnosis/treatment on relationships with others, with ones body, with the world. Participants are encouraged to write freely and are prompted to remain compassionate towards themselves and their experience at the start of the writing session.
A 20-minute practitioner-led expressive writing session that involves the practitioner introducing a topic related to cancer such as, the impact of diagnosis/treatment on relationships with others, with ones body, with the world. Participants are not prompted to think compassionately in this condition but allowed to write freely about the topic without further structure.
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
For the most up-to-date information, visit the official listing.
NCT07567157