Expressive writing for cancer patients in developmental age: Cases study
Sofia Anzeneder, Anna Rita Colasanti, Angela Mastronuzzi, Domitilla E. Secco, Simonetta Gentile
The study aimed at exploring (1) whether expressive writing (EW) affects well-being of children and adolescents with brain tumor and (2) what are language mechanisms underlying EW effects. Four patients with central nervous system tumor aged between 9 and16 years at the Rome Pediatric Hospital Bambino Gesù participated to an EW intervention composed of four writings one week apart. EW effects were evaluated with the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist, and Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences questionnaires administered prior to, immediately and one month after the intervention. Linguistic analysis of the psycho-physic processes underlying the expressive narration was performed with the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Program. Descriptive statistics for each case showed (1) amelioration trends of small size in perceived quality of life, internalized symptoms and coping skills in three of four participants; (2) carry-over of these EW benefits in patients out-of-treatment, especially at adolescent age, associated with a specific pattern of change, across writings, of linguistic variables reflecting biological, cognitive, emotional and social processes. Results suggest that EW psycho-physical benefits, though clinically non-relevant, may be obtained in patients who have advantageous baseline conditions of emotional well-being. Mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of EW seem a progressive balancing of cognitive and social processes and the activation of embodied simulation. Future replication studies with larger cohorts of patients are needed to address the generalizability issue.
Keywords
Quality of life, coping, cognitive reappraisal, embodied emotion, cancer, youths.