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NCT Number: NCT07200388

How Emotional Granularity Helps Build Resilience in Young and Middle-Aged Colorectal Cancer Survivors

This study aims to understand how the ability to identify and describe specific emotions (called "emotional granularity") influences coping and adaptation ("resilience") in young and middle-aged colorectal cancer survivors.

The main questions to be answer are:

1. How does emotional granularity help build resilience during cancer recovery? 2. How does emotion regulation contribute to resilience building? 3. What specific emotional needs and challenges do survivors experience?

This is an observational study where no experimental treatments are provided. Participants will complete an online questionnaire about background, emotions, ways of managing emotions, and ability to cope with stress. A subset of participants will then be invited to take part in a private, 30-60 minute interview to share personal experiences and feelings in more detail.

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Key information

Conditions

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Behavior Colonic Diseases Colorectal Neoplasms Digestive System Diseases Digestive System Neoplasms Emotional Regulation Gastrointestinal Diseases Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Intestinal Diseases Intestinal Neoplasms Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Rectal Diseases Self-Control Social Behavior

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China

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About this study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors, particularly young and middle-aged adults, frequently experience substantial emotional and psychosocial challenges after treatment completion. Emotional distress, social role disruption, and difficulties in adapting to long-term survivorship may negatively affect resilience and quality of life. Emotional granularity, defined as the ability to identify and differentiate subtle emotional experiences, has been proposed as a potential mechanism that may enhance adaptive emotion regulation and psychological resilience.

This sequential mixed-methods study aims to investigate the relationship between emotional granularity, emotion regulation, and resilience among young and middle-aged CRC survivors, and to explore survivors' emotional experiences and psychosocial support needs to inform future intervention development.

The study consists of two phases. In the first phase, a cross-sectional survey will be conducted among young and middle-aged CRC survivors recruited from teaching hospitals affiliated with Soochow University and Jiangsu University in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Participants will complete validated Chinese-language questionnaires assessing emotional granularity, emotion regulation difficulties, and resilience. Mediation analysis will be performed to examine whether emotion regulation mediates the association between emotional granularity and resilience.

In the second phase, purposive sampling will be used to recruit participants with varying levels of emotional granularity scores from the quantitative phase. Semi-structured individual interviews will be conducted to explore participants' emotional experiences, coping strategies, emotional support needs, and perceptions regarding emotion-focused interventions. Qualitative findings will be integrated with quantitative results to provide evidence supporting the future development of emotional granularity-based psychosocial interventions for CRC survivors.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Young and middle-aged adult patients (age in the range of 18-60 years);
  • Patients diagnosed with CRC;
  • Patients have completed primary treatments (e.g., surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy) without experiencing a recurrence of CRC;
  • Patients able to use a smartphone and agree to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients who have not been informed of their cancer diagnosis due to family decision to withhold information;
  • Patients suffering from severe conditions that may affect participation or assessment, such as significant cognitive impairment, psychiatric disorders, or communication disorder.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Level of Resilience

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1, at questionnaire completion for each participant)

    Resilience will be measured by the total score on the Chinese version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher levels of resilience.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Emotional Granularity Score

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1, at questionnaire completion for each participant)

    Emotional granularity (the ability to differentiate emotional experiences) will be measured by the total score on the Chinese version of the Range and Differentiation of Emotional Experience Scale (RDEES). The scale contains 11 items, and higher scores indicate a greater ability to differentiate between subtle emotions.

  2. Emotion Regulation Difficulties Score

    Time frame: Baseline (Day 1, at questionnaire completion for each participant)

    Difficulties in emotion regulation will be measured by the total score on the Chinese version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). The scale contains 36 items, and higher scores indicate greater problems with emotion regulation.

Other outcomes

  1. Qualitative Themes on Emotional Needs

    Time frame: Post-questionnaire phase (within approximately 2-6 weeks after baseline, depending on scheduling of interviews)

    Themes and patterns identified through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews regarding survivors' emotional experiences, needs, and coping strategies.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Other

Collaborators

  • Kunshan First People's Hospital Affiliated to Jiangsu University
  • Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University
  • The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University

Registry information

Official study title

The Role of Emotional Granularity in Enhancing Resilience Among Young and Middle-Aged Colorectal Cancer Survivors: A Mixed-Methods Study

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Oct 1, 2025
Registry last updated
May 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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