title: Maintaining Mental Health Through Positive Writing: Effects of a Resource Diary on Depression and Emotion Regulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study investigated the beneficial effects of the resource-oriented positive writing intervention resource diary (RD) on mental health variables among patients recently discharged from psychiatric inpatient treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine patients were randomly assigned to either an intervention group completing RD over the course of 4 weeks (n = 45) or a control group receiving no intervention (n = 44). To measure changes in mental health, patients filled out a number of self-report questionnaires on depression, emotion regulation, and resource activation before and after the intervention.  RESULTS: Participants completing RD had significantly lower depression scores than controls and reported an increased use of the functional emotion regulation strategy "reappraisal" 5 weeks after discharge. A decreased use of the dysfunctional strategy "expressive suppression" was found in the female subsample. No differences were found for resource activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that a resource-oriented positive writing intervention has potential for stabilizing mental health after psychiatric discharge and could therefore present an economical alternative or addition to established aftercare programs.
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suhr
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Risch
authors.affiliation: Friedrich-Schiller University of Jena.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wilz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D062525:Narrative Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D000068356:Self-Control; D012737:Sex Factors; D014956:Writing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: depression; emotion regulation; positive psychology; psychiatric aftercare; resource activation; therapeutic writing