Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda.
Johanna Unterhitzenberger1, Rita Rosner2
1Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, Germany; johanna.unterhitzenberger@ku.de.
European Journal of Psychotraumatology
|December 25, 2014
Summary
Unstructured emotional writing did not reduce grief in adolescents who lost parents. A control group showed reduced depressive symptoms, suggesting this intervention may not suit severely distressed youth.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Mental Health
- Child Development
Background:
- Limited treatments exist for adolescents experiencing long-term parental loss in low- and middle-income countries.
- School-based interventions offer a cost-efficient and scalable approach for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an unstructured emotional writing intervention for adolescents grieving parental loss.
- To compare its effects against writing about a hobby and a non-writing control group.
Main Methods:
- Randomly assigned 14-18-year-old Rwandan orphans (n=23 per group) to emotional writing, hobby writing, or control conditions.
- Assessed prolonged grief and depression using validated questionnaires before and after the intervention.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found between the three groups regarding grief severity or adaptation.
- Grief symptoms significantly reduced over time, particularly in those with initially elevated grief.
- Depressive symptoms decreased in the control group but not in the emotional writing group.
Conclusions:
- Brief, unstructured emotional writing may not be suitable for adolescents with severe, long-term distress from parental loss.
- A more structured intervention approach might be more beneficial for this vulnerable group.
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