Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5022, USA.
Health Psychol. 2012 Sep;31(5):548-51. doi: 10.1037/a0026834. Epub 2012 Jan 9.
Little attention has been focused on Asian American breast cancer survivor's psychological needs. No outcome-based psychosocial interventions have been reported to target at this population. Expressive writing interventions have been previously shown to improve health outcomes among non-Hispanic White breast cancer populations. This pilot study aimed to test the cultural sensitivity, feasibility, and potential health benefits of an expressive writing intervention among Chinese-speaking breast cancer survivors.
Participants (N = 19) were asked to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings, their coping efforts, and positive thoughts and feelings regarding their experience with breast cancer each week for 3 weeks. Health outcomes were assessed at baseline, 3, and 6 months after the intervention. A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach (CBPR) is used.
Expressive writing was associated with medium and large effect sizes (η(p)² = 0.066∼0.208) in improving multiple health outcomes (quality of life, fatigue, posttraumatic stress, intrusive thoughts, and positive affect) at follow-ups. Participants perceived the study to be valuable. The study yielded high compliance and completion rates.
Expressive writing is associated with long-term improvement of health outcomes among Chinese breast cancer survivors and has the potential to be utilized as a support strategy for minority cancer survivors. In addition, CBPR is valuable in improving feasibility and cultural sensitivity of the intervention in understudied populations. Future studies employing randomized, controlled trial designs are warranted.
亚裔美国乳腺癌幸存者的心理需求很少受到关注。针对这一人群，尚未报道基于结果的社会心理干预措施。先前的研究表明，表达性写作干预措施可以改善非西班牙裔白种人乳腺癌患者的健康结果。本试点研究旨在测试针对华裔乳腺癌幸存者的表达性写作干预措施的文化敏感性、可行性和潜在健康益处。
参与者（N=19）被要求每周写三篇关于她们最深的想法和感受、应对努力以及对乳腺癌经历的积极想法和感受的文章，共写 3 周。在干预后 3 个月和 6 个月评估健康结果。采用社区参与式研究方法（CBPR）。
表达性写作与多种健康结果（生活质量、疲劳、创伤后应激、侵入性思维和积极情绪）的改善相关，具有中等和较大的效果量（η(p)²=0.066∼0.208）。参与者认为该研究很有价值。研究的依从性和完成率很高。
表达性写作与华裔乳腺癌幸存者的健康结果的长期改善相关，并有潜力作为少数民族癌症幸存者的支持策略。此外，CBPR 对于提高干预措施在研究不足的人群中的可行性和文化敏感性很有价值。需要进行采用随机对照试验设计的未来研究。
