An observational study in Colorectal Cancer (CRC), sponsored by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Completed at 3 sites in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-12.
Sponsored by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Observational
This study aims to understand how the ability to identify and describe specific emotions (called "emotional granularity") influences coping and adaptation ("resilience") in young and middle-aged colorectal cancer survivors.
The main questions to be answer are:
This is an observational study where no experimental treatments are provided. Participants will complete an online questionnaire about background, emotions, ways of managing emotions, and ability to cope with stress. A subset of participants will then be invited to take part in a private, 30-60 minute interview to share personal experiences and feelings in more detail.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors, particularly young and middle-aged adults, frequently experience substantial emotional and psychosocial challenges after treatment completion. Emotional distress, social role disruption, and difficulties in adapting to long-term survivorship may negatively affect resilience and quality of life. Emotional granularity, defined as the ability to identify and differentiate subtle emotional experiences, has been proposed as a potential mechanism that may enhance adaptive emotion regulation and psychological resilience.
This sequential mixed-methods study aims to investigate the relationship between emotional granularity, emotion regulation, and resilience among young and middle-aged CRC survivors, and to explore survivors' emotional experiences and psychosocial support needs to inform future intervention development.
The study consists of two phases. In the first phase, a cross-sectional survey will be conducted among young and middle-aged CRC survivors recruited from teaching hospitals affiliated with Soochow University and Jiangsu University in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. Participants will complete validated Chinese-language questionnaires assessing emotional granularity, emotion regulation difficulties, and resilience. Mediation analysis will be performed to examine whether emotion regulation mediates the association between emotional granularity and resilience.
In the second phase, purposive sampling will be used to recruit participants with varying levels of emotional granularity scores from the quantitative phase. Semi-structured individual interviews will be conducted to explore participants' emotional experiences, coping strategies, emotional support needs, and perceptions regarding emotion-focused interventions. Qualitative findings will be integrated with quantitative results to provide evidence supporting the future development of emotional granularity-based psychosocial interventions for CRC survivors.
5,599 studies on the registry are indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms; 1,458 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 242 is close to the median of 250 across 1,226 observational studies indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms.
Browse Colorectal Neoplasms studies →The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the lead sponsor of 659 studies on the registry; 250 are open to participants now.
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The study population will consist of samples and data obtained from three major regional tertiary hospitals in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province:
This selection encompasses top-tier medical institutions from both the central urban district of Suzhou and a developed county-level city (Kunshan), ensuring a representative and diverse sample of the patient population and healthcare delivery within the Suzhou region.
Exclusion Criteria:
This single cohort consists of young and middle-aged adult survivors of colorectal cancer. All participants will complete the quantitative survey phase. A subset of participants, purposively sampled based on their survey scores, will then be invited to participate in the qualitative interview phase. There is no intervention administered; this is an observational study examining the relationships between emotional granularity, emotion regulation, and resilience.
Level of Resilience
Resilience will be measured by the total score on the Chinese version of the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Scores range from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating higher levels of resilience.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1, at questionnaire completion for each participant)
Emotional Granularity Score
Emotional granularity (the ability to differentiate emotional experiences) will be measured by the total score on the Chinese version of the Range and Differentiation of Emotional Experience Scale (RDEES). The scale contains 11 items, and higher scores indicate a greater ability to differentiate between subtle emotions.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1, at questionnaire completion for each participant)
Emotion Regulation Difficulties Score
Difficulties in emotion regulation will be measured by the total score on the Chinese version of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). The scale contains 36 items, and higher scores indicate greater problems with emotion regulation.
Time frame: Baseline (Day 1, at questionnaire completion for each participant)
Qualitative Themes on Emotional Needs
Themes and patterns identified through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews regarding survivors' emotional experiences, needs, and coping strategies.
Time frame: Post-questionnaire phase (within approximately 2-6 weeks after baseline, depending on scheduling of interviews)
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Plan to share: Undecided — A final decision regarding sharing individual participant data (IPD) has not yet been finalized. This is due to the need for further internal discussions and consultations with all collaborating institutions, particularly regarding compliance with cross-border data transfer regulations under China's Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and ethical guidelines governing participant privacy. Additionally, the feasibility of robust de-identification processes and secure data-sharing mechanisms is being evaluated to ensure participant confidentiality. The final decision will be determined before study completion and will align with journal requirements, participant consent agreements, and institutional policies.
This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University