title: Does writing about suicidal thoughts and feelings reduce them?
abstract: To assess whether writing with cognitive change or exposure instructions reduces depression or suicidality, 121 undergraduates screened for suicidality wrote for 20 minutes on 4 days over 2 weeks. They were randomly assigned to reinterpret or to write and rewrite traumatic events/emotions, or to write about innocuous topics. The three groups (N = 98) who completed pre-, post-, and 6-week follow-up were not different on suicidality or depression. All subjects reported fewer automatic negative thoughts over the 2 weeks; they also reported higher self-regard but more health center visits at follow-up. Suicidal thoughts may be more resistant than physical health to writing interventions.
authors.affiliation: The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5025, USA.
authors.forename: Stacey H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kovac
authors.forename: Lillian M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Range
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D013850:Thinking; D014956:Writing; D000092864:Suicide Prevention