Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a journaling intervention can reduce stress and anxiety in parents of children with urogenital conditions (such as differences of sex development and hypospadias).

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does guided journaling help to reduce anxiety levels in parents of children with urogenital conditions?
• What are parents' perspectives on group-based writing interventions for future support programs?

Participants will:

• Complete a short anxiety questionnaire (the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale) at the beginning of the study
• Receive a physical journal with 5 writing prompts designed to help process emotions related to their child's condition
• Complete 5 journal entries over several weeks, writing about their experiences and feelings
• Complete the same anxiety questionnaire again after finishing the journal entries
• Participate in a 45-minute interview to discuss how the journaling affected their stress levels and gather feedback on potential group-based writing programs

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parent or legal guardian of a child (age 0-17 years) diagnosed with a urogenital condition (differences of sex development and/or hypospadias)
• Able to read and understand English
• Child receives care at Boston Children's Hospital
• Willing to complete a guided journaling intervention (through writing or dictation) over a period of approximately 5 weeks
• Willing to participate in a 45 minute follow-up interview
• Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Parent/guardian with severe psychiatric disorder that would interfere with participation as determined by referring physician
• Parent/guardian unable to complete either written journaling activities or dictation
• Inability to provide informed consent