Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37358056›Full record

ArticleJournal of health psychology2024

Words matter: The use of generic "you" in expressive writing in an oncology setting.

Stella Snyder, Kathrin Milbury, Richard Wagner, Lorenzo Cohen

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of health psychology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
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

4 authors.

Stella SnyderIndiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8061-3848
Kathrin MilburyThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA.
Richard WagnerThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA.
Lorenzo CohenThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA.

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Fabien Delerue · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
Biobehavioral Effects of Emotional Expression in CancerR01CA090966 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI COHEN, LORENZO · 2002 to 2006
$2.5M
NCI NIH HHS P30 CA016672NCI NIH HHS R01 CA090966
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The use of generic "you" (GY) in writing samples fosters psychological distancing and functions as a linguistic mechanism to facilitate emotion regulation. This method of creating psychological distance from the traumatic experience of cancer may be used by patients processing emotions. We used behavioral coding to analyze expressive writing samples collected from 138 cancer patients to examine the association between the use of "you" and cancer-related symptoms and psychological outcomes. Occurrences of GY were low, but our qualitative results showed how the use of GY could create a universal experience of cancer. The use of GY was not associated with cancer-related symptoms and depressive symptoms, but longitudinal analyses revealed that those using GY had fewer intrusive thoughts and avoidance behaviors across the follow-up period of 1, 4, and 10 months after the intervention. The development of psychological self-distancing prompts to use in writing interventions or as a clinical tool for cancer patients should be explored.

Indexed as

Emotional RegulationNeoplasmsAdaptation, PsychologicalEmotionsHumansWritingcanceremotion regulationmental healthpsycho-oncologyquality of life

Identifiers

PMID37358056
PMCPMC11672242

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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.