Clinical Trial: Expressive Writing in Male Infertility
Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Expressive Writing as a Therapeutic Intervention in Male Infertility
Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether expressive writing can be effective in improving the well-being and sperm quality in patients with male infertility.
Detailed Summary:
Expressive writing is a therapeutic intervention designed by the psychologist James W. Pennebaker. Individuals write on three days for about 20 minutes about particularly stressful experiences in their life. Several studies showed that expressive writing can have beneficial effects on the frequency of health care utilization and well-being. Particularly in patients with rheumatism, kidney cancer and posttraumatic stress disorder expressive writing showed an positive effect on subjective well-being. Furthermore, in several studies expressive writing showed a positive effect on immune parameters.
As many studies suggest an important negative effect of stress on well-being and sperm parameters in male infertility, we want to investigate the effect of expressive writing in male infertility.The expressive writing condition is compared to a non emotional writing condition, in which individuals write about mainly non emotional topics such as time management. In this randomized-controlled trial subjects were allocated sequentially by block wise randomization (block size of 4). For randomization a computer generated random list was used. The allocation was concealed in a series of numbered sealed envelopes. The envelope was opened immediately before the first writing session.
Sponsor: University Hospital, Bonn
Current Primary Outcome: Scores on rating scale for perceived stress in infertility [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
Original Primary Outcome:
- Scores on rating scales for perceived stress in infertility and global emotional distress
- Sperm count and sperm motility
Current Secondary Outcome:
- Scores on rating scale for personality dimensions [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
- Sperm parameters [ Time Frame: 3-12 months ]
- Score on rating scale for coping [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
Original Secondary Outcome: Scores on rating scales for personality dimensions and coping.
Information By: University Hospital, Bonn
Dates:
Date Received: October 5, 2006
Date Started: November 2006
Date Completion:
Last Updated: June 29, 2010
Last Verified: September 2009
