Feasibility and Acceptability of a 3-Day Group-Based Digital Storytelling Workshop among Caregivers of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Patients: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Family caregivers are essential partners for patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The caregiving role is emotionally, physically, and financially demanding. Intervention efforts to provide relief for caregiver stress during HCT are highly warranted. Storytelling interventions are accruing evidence for efficacy in therapeutic contexts. The purpose of this study was to conduct a 3-full consecutive day digital storytelling (DST) workshop to build knowledge on caregivers’ lived experiences during HCT, to pilot test DST with a small group of HCT caregivers, and to demonstrate feasibility and acceptability using qualitative and quantitative measures. Six adult caregivers of allogeneic HCT recipients (mean age, 60.2 years) attended a 3-day DST program (66% female, 83% white). All successfully created their personal audiovisual digital story (2 to 3 minutes long) and completed a survey. All participants rated the DST workshop as highly acceptable and therapeutic (mean score 5, on a scale of 1 to 5). Group discussions and interviews with participants further demonstrated high satisfaction and acceptability of the workshop format, setting, process, and structure. The survey results showed decreases in anxiety and depression from before to after the DST workshop with all participants showing change in the expected direction. This study demonstrates the feasibility and acceptability of a 3-day DST workshop as a distress-relieving tool for HCT caregivers. Future research is needed to test the efficacy of DST relative to a control condition.