RecruitingRecruiting
Breaking Silence Through Story: A Narrative Medicine Intervention for Parents of Children With Urogenital Conditions
NCT06989593 · Boston Children's Hospital
In plain English
Click the button to translate this study into plain language — what it is, who qualifies, and what participation looks like.
About this study
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a journaling intervention can reduce stress and anxiety in parents of children with urogenital conditions (such as differences of sex development and hypospadias).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Does guided journaling help to reduce anxiety levels in parents of children with urogenital conditions?
* What are parents' perspectives on group-based writing interventions for future support programs?
Participants will:
* Complete a short anxiety questionnaire (the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale) at the beginning of the study
* Receive a physical journal with 5 writing prompts designed to help process emotions related to their child's condition
* Complete 5 journal entries over several weeks, writing about their experiences and feelings
* Complete the same anxiety questionnaire again after finishing the journal entries
* Participate in a 45-minute interview to discuss how the journaling affected their stress levels and gather feedback on potential group-based writing programs
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
* Parent or legal guardian of a child (age 0-17 years) diagnosed with a urogenital condition (such as differences of sex development or hypospadias)
* Able to read and understand English
* Willing to complete a guided journaling intervention (through writing or dictation) over a period of approximately 5 weeks
* Willing to participate in a 45 minute follow-up interview
* Able to provide informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
* Parent/guardian with severe psychiatric disorder that would interfere with participation as determined by referring physician
* Parent/guardian unable to complete either written journaling activities or dictation
* Inability to provide informed consent
Study design
Enrollment target: 20 participants
Allocation: na
Masking: none
Age groups: adult, older_adult
Timeline
Starts: 2025-10-10
Estimated completion: 2026-11
Last updated: 2026-05-18
Interventions
Behavioral: Narrative Medicine Journaling Intervention
Primary outcomes
- • Change in GAD-7 Anxiety Scores (Change from baseline (pre-intervention) to approximately 6 weeks post-intervention initiation)
Sponsor
Sarah Schlegel · other
With: Harvard Catalyst Pilot Grant
Contacts & investigators
ContactAlex Wheelock · contact · Journaling@childrens.harvard.edu · 617-919-7031
ContactSarah Schlegel, MD, MS · contact · 617-355-3523
All locations (1)
Boston Children's HospitalRecruiting
Boston, Massachusetts, United States