This small project grant application is for a developmental study to test the effectiveness of a written self-disclosure intervention on the health status and health care utilization in a population of 60 cystic fibrosis patients (age equal to or greater than 15) in 3 clinic locations (Medical University of South Carolina, Children's Hospital Boston, and University of Alabama Birmingham). Enrolled patients will be randomly assigned to immediate intervention or to waiting list control (intervention to be 3 months later). The intervention involves writing about distressing, emotional experiences for 20 minutes on 3 occasions within 5 days. Health status is assessed by forced expiratory volume and body mass index at 3 months post-intervention. In addition, 3 standardized instruments for measuring subjective health status will be used. Health care utilization will be abstracted from the CF National Registry and include the number of inpatient days, non-routine outpatient visits, and emergency room visits, for 6 months before the intervention and 6 months following the intervention.
