The effectiveness of a brief intervention to increase the likelihood of advance care planning among college students

Abstract

Advance care planning (ACP) is atypical in the United States, especially among young adults. We designed and evaluated the effectiveness of a brief intervention about the benefits of perceived control and planning for end-of-life. Participants (N = 188) were randomized into three conditions and completed a cross-sectional questionnaire. Participants who received the intervention were less likely to worry about not getting enough care and more likely to anticipate completing verbal and written ACP within three months than were comparison group participants. Findings suggest the potential of brief interventions to raise awareness about the benefits of ACP and enhance completion among young adults.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge Rosa Otanez-Carter for her support of this project.