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A creative writing program to enhance self-esteem and self-efficacy in adolescents
1Center for Nursing Advancement, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. gec@nursing.mass.edu
Purpose:
To describe the rationale, content, and results of a group creative writing program to increase adolescent self-esteem and self-efficacy.
Methods:
Subjects were low-income, at-risk minority youth (N = 11). Free writing in response to specific exercises, sharing their own stories in their own language, and responding to their peers were used daily for 2 weeks as part of the high school English class. The program was oriented toward health rather than problems, with the content created by the adolescents.
Findings:
The opportunity to tell their own story, in their own language in a safe, structured setting with positive feedback led to higher self-efficacy and self-esteem.
Conclusions:
This study suggests that a writing intervention focused on building self-in-relation self-esteem and the four aspects of self-efficacy resulted in increased sense of well-being.