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Related Experiment Videos

Does writing reduce posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms?

Pamela B Deters1, Lillian M Range

  • 1The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg 39406-5025, USA.

Violence and Victims
|December 26, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Writing about trauma or a trivial topic equally reduced PTSD symptoms and related issues. Participants showed improvements in PTSD symptoms and impact by the 6-week follow-up, regardless of writing content.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Trauma Studies
  • Mental Health Research

Background:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) significantly impacts individuals' mental health and well-being.
  • Expressive writing is a potential therapeutic intervention for trauma survivors.
  • Previous research suggests writing about traumatic experiences can alleviate psychological distress.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of expressive writing on PTSD and associated symptoms.
  • To compare the effects of writing about trauma versus a neutral topic on mental health outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • 57 undergraduates with prior trauma exposure were randomized to write about trauma or a trivial topic for 15 minutes over 4 days.
  • Assessments included PTSD symptoms, impact of events, suicidal ideation, dissociation, and depression, measured pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 6-week follow-up.

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Main Results:

  • No significant differences in symptom reduction were observed between trauma and trivial writing groups at follow-up.
  • All participants reported reduced PTSD symptoms, impact, and dissociation, and fewer health visits by the 6-week follow-up.
  • Trauma writing group initially worsened then improved, while trivial writing group improved immediately and maintained gains.

Conclusions:

  • Writing interventions, irrespective of content (trauma vs. trivial), appear effective in reducing PTSD symptoms.
  • Expressive writing may offer a accessible and broadly applicable method for managing trauma-related distress.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying these findings and optimize writing interventions.