Harvey-Knowles et al., 2017: Writing about feelings and thoughts of cancer experiences reduced self-reported depression among spousal caregivers
Reference:
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Asking spousal caregivers of cancer patients to write once a week for three weeks about either undisclosed thoughts and feelings they had about the cancer experience or any positive outcomes related to the cancer experience reduced caregivers’ self-reported depression a day after the final writing exercise relative to a control condition, with the greatest benefits for participants with higher baseline levels of depression. However, there was no reduction in stress and, in fact, for participants with higher baseline line levels of stress there was a negative effect of the treatments.
Psychological Process:
What Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
Selves (My Own and Others')Approach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Changing beliefs about emotions, states, and the valence of the self-conceptHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Are current or upcoming emotions, states, and experiences negative and undermining?Are current or upcoming emotions, states, and experiences negative and undermining?Psychological Question Addressed
Are current or upcoming emotions, states, and experiences negative and undermining?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Health
Intervention Technique:
Active reflection, on negative experiences