Virtual Poetry Workshops to Enhance Patient Well Being and Reduce Anxiety

NCT07717541 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: STUDY20250588
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examines whether participating in poetry workshops can improve emotional well-being among patients with chronic digestive symptoms. Many individuals with long-standing digestive conditions experience distress, anxiety, isolation, and difficulty expressing their emotions in clinical settings. These emotional challenges can negatively affect daily life, relationships, and overall health. Poetry writing offers a creative and supportive way for participants to explore their feelings, express their experiences, and build emotional resilience. It also allows individuals to focus on aspects of their identity beyond their illness. The purpose of this research is to evaluate whether poetry workshops can reduce anxiety, lessen feelings of isolation, and strengthen participants' sense of community and well being. 1\. Why is this study being done? The purpose of this research study is to offer a creative outlet for patients to explore their identity and story, build resilience, and seek hope. This study is being done because we understand that the psychological discomfort that can come upon hearing a diagnosis can lead to increased anxiety levels, negatively impacting a patient's well-being and relationships. Often healthcare practitioners may merely view a patient through the lens of their diagnosis, neglecting other aspects of their identity and humanity. Through reading various poems, crafting their own poems, and sharing their work with their peers, we hope the workshops offer a comforting opportunity for the participants to explore their identities and creativity.

Conditions

Dyspepsia; Gastroparesis; Anxiety; Depression

Keywords

poetry; anxiety; depression; dyspepsia; gastroparesis; virtual; creativity

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Anxiety and Depression Symptoms

  Assessed using the HADS questionnaire

  Between baseline and 8 weeks after start of poetry sessions

• Change in Dyspepsia Symptoms

  This will be assessed using electronic questionnaire that asks them to rate dyspepsia symptoms on a scale from None- Very severe

  Assessed from Baseline to end of poetry sessions (8 weeks)

Study Arms (2)

Experimental group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants selected for the facilitated poetry workshop will meet once a week for approximately 1.5 hours via Zoom. Before each workshop, participants will complete a survey evaluating their general emotional state. Each session will begin with a 10-minute warm-up relating to the workshop's theme to ease the participants into the workshop and to cultivate a comfortable environment for the participants to discuss with one another. The warmup will be followed by the facilitator reading a poem and a discussion of the poem. This discussion will pertain to the participants' initial thoughts and emotions upon hearing the poem. Afterwards, participants will have the opportunity to craft their own poem and share their art with their fellow participants. The workshop will close with a final reading of the poem by one of the participants. At the end of each workshop, patients will complete a survey evaluating their emotional state,

Behavioral: Poetry

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will be provided with a manual with the selected poems, reflection questions, and writing prompts. In accordance with the 8-week schedule followed by the facilitated poetry workshops, participants in the control group will partake in each of the 8 workshops and complete the surveys outside of the scheduled virtual group sessions. The last workshop will be conducted in an interview-style format. After every two workshops, a member of the research team will call each participant to check in on their progress.

Behavioral: Poetry Manual

Interventions

Poetry BEHAVIORAL

participants will have the opportunity to craft their own poem and share their art with their fellow participants. This will be facilitated by one of the research team members who will help them craft their own poem.

Experimental group

Poetry Manual BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive a written manual that will guide them on how to write poetry. they will receive one manual each week.

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• At least 18 years old
• Ability to provide informed consent
• Able to speak and understand English
• Able to attend virtual poetry workshops
• Willing to share at least 3 poems at the end of the study with the study team
• Have access to a high-speed internet connection and smart phone or computer
• Willing to participate in group activity if randomized to the facilitated workshops
• At least moderate dyspepsia assessed by the Dyspepsia questionnaire (at least one of the following symptoms with moderate or worse severity- nausea, vomiting, early satiety, post prandial fullness AND
• At least moderate anxiety or depression assessed by HADS questionnaire. The HADS score has 2 subscores- HADS-A for anxiety and HADS-D for depression. A score of ≥ 21 indicates moderate anxiety and will be required to be eligible for the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Unable to speak English or participate in virtual sessions
• Younger than 18 years old

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Ohio State University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States

RECRUITING

Related Publications (3)

• Gaillard R, Mir O. Fluoxetine and motor recovery after ischaemic stroke. Lancet Neurol. 2011 Jun;10(6):499; author reply 500-1. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70111-9. No abstract available.

  PMID: 21601157 BACKGROUND

• Lee B, Mafi J, Patel MK, Sorensen A, Vangala S, Wei E, Sarkisian C. Quality improvement time-saving intervention to increase use of a clinical decision support tool to reduce low-value diagnostic imaging in a safety net health system. BMJ Open Qual. 2021 Feb;10(1):e001076. doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2020-001076.

  PMID: 33579745 BACKGROUND

• Barrett E, Dickson M, Hayes-Brady C, Wheelock H. Storytelling and poetry in the time of coronavirus. Ir J Psychol Med. 2020 Dec;37(4):278-282. doi: 10.1017/ipm.2020.36. Epub 2020 May 14.

  PMID: 32406356 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dyspepsia; Gastroparesis; Anxiety Disorders; Depression

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Stomach Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Digestive System Diseases; Paralysis; Neurologic Manifestations; Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Study Officials

• Subhankar CHAKRABORTY, MD, Ph.D.

  Ohio State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

SUBHANKAR CHAKRABORTY, M.D., Ph.D.

CONTACT

614-293-6255'; Subhankar.chakraborty@osumc.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This study will be conducted for 14 weeks and will consist of two groups: a moderator facilitated group and a control group. Each group will consist of 10 participants. The facilitated group will meet via a virtual meeting platform. The control group will participate in each workshop on their individual time. Study participants will be randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group to reduce bias. All participants will receive an online poetry journal that includes the writing prompts for each workshop.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 16, 2026
• First Posted: July 21, 2026
• Study Start: July 17, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 16, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2028
• Last Updated: July 21, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)