Study to Determine How Different Types of Coping Strategies Can Help People Manage Pain and Distress After Surgery

Description

The purpose of this study is to determine if different video based coping strategies can help patients undergoing surgery for cancer can improve patients pain and distress after surgery for their cancer. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Is it possible to use video-based coping strategies to help manage pain and distress after surgery? * Is one type of coping strategy better than another? Researchers will compare mindfulness-based coping strategies (e.g., guided meditation, expressive writing, etc.) with non-mindfulness coping strategies (e.g., support from social workers and the wellness center, health education, etc.) to understand how these can help in post-surgery recovery, pain management, and distress. Participants will: * Provide their full name, date of surgery, e-mail address, and phone number and agree to be contacted via email or text messaging. * Fill out some questionnaires before surgery, which should take 10-15 minutes. * Be assigned to one of three coping strategies. * Review a video (about 15-20 minutes long) or links to online resources before surgery and respond to questions about pain and distress before and after viewing these materials. * Review additional videos or links 2, 3, and 4 days after surgery and respond to questions about pain and distress before and after viewing these materials. * Complete additional questionnaires 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. These questionnaires will be sent by text or email and should take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

Conditions

Psychological Distress, Intra-abdominal Cancer

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The purpose of this study is to determine if different video based coping strategies can help patients undergoing surgery for cancer can improve patients pain and distress after surgery for their cancer. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Is it possible to use video-based coping strategies to help manage pain and distress after surgery? * Is one type of coping strategy better than another? Researchers will compare mindfulness-based coping strategies (e.g., guided meditation, expressive writing, etc.) with non-mindfulness coping strategies (e.g., support from social workers and the wellness center, health education, etc.) to understand how these can help in post-surgery recovery, pain management, and distress. Participants will: * Provide their full name, date of surgery, e-mail address, and phone number and agree to be contacted via email or text messaging. * Fill out some questionnaires before surgery, which should take 10-15 minutes. * Be assigned to one of three coping strategies. * Review a video (about 15-20 minutes long) or links to online resources before surgery and respond to questions about pain and distress before and after viewing these materials. * Review additional videos or links 2, 3, and 4 days after surgery and respond to questions about pain and distress before and after viewing these materials. * Complete additional questionnaires 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. These questionnaires will be sent by text or email and should take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

Quality Improvement Project to Address Post Operative Distress and Pain for Patients Undergoing Surgery for Intra-Abdominal Malignancies

Study to Determine How Different Types of Coping Strategies Can Help People Manage Pain and Distress After Surgery

Condition
Psychological Distress
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Salt Lake City

University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84132

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * English-speaking males or females 18 or older within the University of Utah Hospital system being treated for an intrabdominal malignancy.
  • * Patients undergoing surgical treatment of cancer within the abdominal cavity.
  • * Altered mental status due to delirium or pharmacological sedation as determined by a clinical assessment conducted by a study staff.
  • * Non-English speaking.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

University of Utah,

Study Record Dates

2026-08-20