Dialogue House is seeking to organize independent research studies to determine the effectiveness of the Intensive Journal® method in helping specific patient populations.  In the areas of wellness, the studies cover several patient populations such as those who are:

 (1)  learning to cope with a major physical illness (e.g. cancer) or

 (2) dealing with issues underlying or contributing to the illness (e.g. an addiction).   

Please contact Jon Progoff (800-221-5844) or email: info@intensivejournal.org for more information if you would like to help us organize a study. 

Proposed Pilot Study with Prostate Cancer Patients Advances at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

A pilot research study is being organized to use the Intensive Journal method with prostate cancer patients from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland.

The proposed study will seek to determine the effectiveness of the Intensive Journal method in addressing the emotional needs of cancer patients as a means of fostering greater integrated wellness. These patients face either life threatening issues of the illness, or at minimum, transitional life issues in coping or adjusting to the reality of having cancer.

The study would be supervised and coordinated by Jacek Mostwin, M.D., D.Phil., a senior urologist in the Department of Urology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and is a professor in the Urology Department of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Mostwin has also attended several Intensive Journal programs. The Department of Urology is a widely recognized cancer treatment facility and has treated approximately 7,500 patients to date.

Patients who are selected for the study would attend public workshops in their locale, principally the greater Baltimore area. They will then share their experiences with the research team, such as by participating in outcome studies or interviews, or providing other written documents, to see if there is a statistically significant change in the quality of life measurements. Dr. Mostwin emphasized that the research team would honor the privacy of each participant and would not read their workbook entries. This is one example of how the study would seek to maintain the integrity and authenticity of the workshop experience.

The proposed study is subject to review and approval of the hospital’s institutional review board.