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NCT Number: NCT05456100

Chinese American Cancer Survivors Writing Study

The Chinese American Cancer Survivors Writing Study is a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) testing the feasibility and efficacy of the Expressive Helping (EH) intervention among Chinese American cancer survivors.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Age range

18 year–80 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

New York University

New York, 10003, United States

About this study

Chinese Americans are one of the fastest growing immigrant groups in the United States, but there is still a lack of culturally-sensitive and linguistically-appropriate resources and interventions for this group. To address this gap, the investigators will examine the efficacy and feasibility of Expressive Helping, a writing intervention designed to lead participants to write about their cancer experiences. Participants will be adult cancer survivors of Chinese descent. After screening and consent, eligible participants will be enrolled in a 1:1:1 randomized controlled trial. Assessments of psychological symptoms will occur at baseline (prior to randomization), 1-month post-intervention, 3-months post-intervention, and 6-months post-intervention.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Over 18 years old.
  • Prefer speaking in Mandarin Chinese or Cantonese, and able to read and write Simplified or Traditional Chinese.
  • Within 5 years after completing primary treatment or have completed primary treatment but still on medication for managing cancer-related symptoms.

Exclusion criteria

  • Difficulties with writing
  • Current active participation in support groups (i.e., attending more than once per week)

Treatment and study plan

Expressive Helping

Behavioral

Expressive helping involves a combination of emotional disclosure and peer support writing completed over four weeks.

Expressive writing

Behavioral

Expressive writing involves emotional disclosure writing over four weeks.

Factual Writing

Behavioral

Factual writing involves writing facts about cancer treatment and experiences over four weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Recruitment rates

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    The number of participants screened for eligibility, percent eligible to participate, and percent of people who refuse to participate will be tracked.

  2. Retention rates

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    Percent of participants who complete each stage of the study (e.g., baseline survey, writing sessions, follow-ups) will be tracked.

  3. Completion rate of writing sessions

    Time frame: through study completion, an average of 6 months

    Assessed by dividing the number of writing sessions finished by the number of sessions assigned.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Changes in depressive symptoms assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month follow-up, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up

    Depressive symptoms will be measured with the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The score can range from 0-30 and higher scores indicate more depressive symptoms.

  2. Changes in anxiety symptoms assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month follow-up, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up

    Anxiety symptoms will be measured with the 7-item GAD-7 scale (Spitzer et al., 2006). This scale measures generalized anxiety symptoms in the past 7 days, has score ranges from 0-21 with higher scores indicating greater anxiety symptoms.

  3. Changes in health-related quality of life assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy: General (FACT-G).

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month follow-up, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up

    Health-related quality of life will be measured by the 27-item FACT-G, which assess four domains: physical well-being, social well-being, emotional well-being and functional well-being. The score ranges from 0-108 with higher scores indicating better quality of life.

  4. Changes in perceived stress assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale.

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month follow-up, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up

    Perceived stress is measured by the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The score ranges from 0-40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress.

  5. Changes in cancer-related fatigue assessed by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue

    Time frame: Baseline to 1-month follow-up, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up

    Cancer-related fatigue is measured by the 13-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue (FACIT). The score ranges from 0-52 with higher scores indicating greater fatigue.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

New York University

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized Controlled Trial Testing Expressive Helping for Chinese American Cancer Survivors

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 13, 2022
Registry last updated
Jun 12, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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