Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25271396›Full record

Trial reportPsychology & health2015

Randomised controlled trial of expressive writing and quality of life in men and women treated for colon or rectal cancer.

Stephen J Lepore, Tracey A Revenson, Katherine J Roberts, Julie R Pranikoff, Adam Davey

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychology & health, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Effectiveness of interventions targeting social constraints among adults with cancer and their caregivers: a systematic review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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  3. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of expressive writing disclosure on cancer and palliative care patients' health-related outcomes.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
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  10. Expressive writing intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder among Chinese American breast cancer survivors: the moderating role of social constraints.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2020
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Stephen J Leporea Department of Public Health , Temple University , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
Tracey A Revenson
Katherine J Roberts
Julie R Pranikoff
Adam Davey

Funding

Expressive Writing &Adjustment to Colorectal CancerR21CA107428 · NCI · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · PI LEPORE, STEPHEN J · 2005 to 2006
$244k
NCI NIH HHS CA107428NCI NIH HHS R21 CA107428
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis randomised trial tested (i) whether a home-based expressive writing (EW) intervention improves quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and (ii) whether the intervention is more beneficial for men or for people who feel constrained in disclosing cancer-related concerns and feelings.

designPatients treated for CRC were randomised to an EW (n = 101) or control writing (CW; n = 92) group. Assessments were completed at 1 month pre- and post-intervention. Sex and perceived social constraints on disclosure were evaluated as moderators.

main outcome measuresPrimary outcomes were depressive symptoms, sleep problems and quality of life indicators.

resultsEighty-one per cent of participants completed all writing assignments. Consistent with hypotheses, relative to the CW group, participants in the EW group expressed more negative emotion in writing and rated their writings as more meaningful, personal and emotionally revealing. There were no significant main effects of EW or moderating effects of sex or social constraints on outcomes.

conclusionsAlthough EW is feasible to use with persons who have CRC, it was not effective as a stand-alone psychotherapeutic intervention. Neither was it more effective for men nor for people who felt they could not freely disclose cancer-related concerns and feelings.

Indexed as

Expressed EmotionQuality of LifeWritingAgedColonic NeoplasmsDepressionFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsychotherapyRectal NeoplasmsSleep Wake DisordersTreatment Outcomecancercolorectalexpressive writingpsychological distressquality of lifesocial constraints

Identifiers

PMID25271396
PMCPMC4289438

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.