Written Self-disclosure for Youth Abdominal Pain

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 3

Phase 2

Conditions

Abdominal Pain

Treatments

Behavioral: Written self-disclosure

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

NIH

Identifiers

NCT00062608

RCTYAP (completed)

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aims are to evaluate: (1) the effectiveness of written self-disclosure (WSD) on health status of youth ages 12-18 with functional recurrent abdominal pain (RAP); (2) whether effectiveness of WSD is similar for younger (12-14) and older (15-18) youth with functional RAP; and (3) the feasibility and acceptability of WSD when extended to the pediatric health care setting.We will implement a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) designed to compare health status in 140 youths (ages 12-18) with functional RAP assigned either to standard medical care (SMC) or WSD provided in the health care setting in addition to SMC. Health status will be measured at Baseline and 3- and 6-months thereafter. Primary measures of health status are symptom severity and episode frequency, consistent with the definition of RAP. Secondary measures of health are functional health, psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and health care utilization. Total use and diagnostic tests will index health care utilization, collected for the 6-mos prior to and following Baseline. Mixed model ANOVA or MANOVA will be used to test directional hypotheses corresponding to the specific aims.

Enrollment

160 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

12 to 18 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Ages 12-18.
Diagnosis of RAP by the examining pediatric gastroenterologist using Apley's (1975) criteria: (a) 3 episodes of abdominal pain, (b) severe enough to interrupt activities and occurring, (c) over a period of at least 3 months, (d) without an identifiable organic cause (If an organic cause is identified during participation in protocol, then participant is withdrawn from database prior to analysis).
Free of a known chronic health condition.
Physical and mental ability to complete the procedures, as judged by Dr. Madan-Swain.
Consents to complete the protocol over the next 6 months.
Parent(s) consents to participate and agrees to support the youth in completing the protocol.
Access to a phone on the days writing sessions are to be completed at home.