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Visible ink: A flexible and individually tailored writing intervention for cancer patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2013

Geoffrey W. Corner ,
Sabrina M. Jhanwar ,
Judith Kelman ,
Hayley Pessin ,
Emma Stein  and
William Breitbart
Geoffrey W. Corner*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Sabrina M. Jhanwar
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Judith Kelman
Affiliation:
Visible Ink Writing Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. New York, New York
Hayley Pessin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
Emma Stein
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
William Breitbart
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Geoffrey W. Corner, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 641 Lexington Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022. E-mail: cornerg@mskcc.org
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Abstract

Objectives:

Subjective reports on the effectiveness of and satisfaction with writing interventions in medical populations have indicated that they can have a profound impact on patients. Further, past research on these programs has demonstrated that they can lead to a number of different positive outcomes depending on the personal characteristics of the participating patients and the type of writing with which they are tasked. For this reason, a flexible and individually tailored writing intervention may be particularly effective for patients, molding its approach to their desires and backgrounds. This paper examines Visible Ink, a writing program for cancer patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) that follows this model.

Methods:

At Visible Ink's First Fall Writing Festival in November 2012, an optional survey was provided to all program participants in attendance, capturing both quantitative and qualitative information on patient experiences in the program. Twenty-nine surveys were completed.

Results:

The program appears to have a variety of positive effects, including fostering personal growth and providing a positive distraction. Respondents reported that they write in a number of different genres on topics both related and not related to their illnesses, which supports the flexible model of the program. All respondents indicated that they would recommend the program to others, and satisfaction with the program's general approach (i.e., individualized work with a writing coach) was unanimous. A few areas for potential improvement were also identified, most of which involved expanding the services and events offered by the program.

Significance of results:

Despite the limitations of this survey (e.g., small sample size and low response rate), its results support the promise of the Visible Ink model and demonstrate participants' satisfaction with the program. Future research can more thoroughly examine Visible Ink's effectiveness, and additional resources could enable the program to expand.

Keywords

Writing interventionExpressive writingCancer patientsSupportive care
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 171 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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