Effects of written emotional disclosure on caregivers of children and adolescents with chronic illness.
OBJECTIVE
Tested feasibility of a written emotional disclosure intervention with caregivers of youths with chronic illness and its effects on measures of mood, physical symptoms, health-related quality of life, distress, and caregiver appraisal of stress and efficacy.


METHODS
Measures were administered prior to and immediately after writing and 4 months later. Experimental group (n = 29) wrote about traumas and stressors while the control group (n = 25) wrote about summer activities for 20 minutes on three different days.


RESULTS
Consistent with hypotheses, the experimental group experienced less positive affect, F(1, 54) = 4.68, p <.05, and more negative affect, F(1, 54) = 7.92, p <.01, and physical symptoms, F(1, 54) = 4.30, p <.05, immediately following writing than the control group. There were no significant Group x Time interactions on long-term mood, distress, health-related quality of life, or caregiver appraisal. Contrary to hypotheses, the control group had more vitality over time, F(1, 53) = 21.29, p <.001, than the experimental group.


CONCLUSIONS
Recommendations include modifying the procedures to attain more control in applied settings and identifying specific processes that contribute to the efficacy of written emotional disclosure on well-being.
Schwartz
Lisa
L
Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-7123, USA. lxs78@po.cwru.edu
Drotar
Dennis
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014956:Writing