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Garcia
Andruw Garcia

ENGL 1302-

Trisha Briones

20 March 2024

Positive Writing Therapy

Writing itself has been proven to display an undeniable amount of significance in our

world. Communication is a vital factor of life that allows a person to live with ease and pleasure.

It is through methods of communication that writing has been able to help alleviate the mental

instability of troubled individuals. Various studies have emphasized a formidable claim that

proves writing as a reliable form of preventing mental illnesses from developing further. It

expands through a vast range of psychological issues and can be used as a primary source of

gathering information that can assist in research to help those trying to overcome these

misfortunes. A variety of studies have displayed the benefits of positive writing interventions

(PWIs) and continue to provide claims validated by the results gathered from the interventions.

The interventions are not limited to just mental illnesses, but also personal or internal conflicts as

well. Those struggling with less extreme issues in their day-to-day lives or individuals who

struggle to motivate themselves into progressing with their lives. Regardless, PWIs can be

substituted as a universal method to dwindle or cure the mental roadblocks for those who are

troubled with internal issues and provides a therapeutic practice of guiding those with more

extreme psychological illnesses. Nonetheless, the results present a valid case proving the

hypothesis that many researchers share, being whether PWIs are effective enough to alter the

lives of those with unfortunate circumstances in a positive manner.

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Each article presented a similar hypothesis with different variables that pertained to each

experiment. All with similar goals aimed at separate target audiences. Some appealed to those

individuals who live with internal struggles and those with more serious mental sicknesses such

as schizophrenia. As well as ranging between two groups; one being adolescents, the other being

adults. Based on the results that were presented throughout each article, it is clear that the

interventions held, managed to create a significant impact on those who participated. Every

experiment was conducted with the same manner, that being participants separating between two

groups. Those who were required to complete the interventions and those who were not. The

groups are present so that the accuracy of the results is more certain.

Schizophrenia

To start off, the first article that will be reviewed will be that of patients who suffer from

a more extreme mental obstacle. Schizophrenia has been considered to be one of the most

dangerous illnesses not only pertaining to the victim, but the individuals who come into contact

with the victim. Its history is no doubt full of many of the darker aspects of life. That being said,

attempting to overcome such a mishap will be almost impossible to do so. However, there have

been methods of alleviating those suffer from it. “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” (Suhl 1568). Although the results might not have specified the significance in change

between each patient, it reviews the potential for the experiment to succeed properly. In other

words, within time throughout each intervention with patients who are in psychiatric care or have

been released from it, there is a potential to possibly overcome and cure them. Even though the
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results were not as vibrant as other studies held, the chance is still there to prove that PWIs do

have an impact on patients.

Grief

The next topic that will be reviewed is that of grief or bereavement. The term

bereavement can be applied to those individuals who have suffered from the loss of a close

friend, which coincides with those people who suffer from grief. This study was based on

whether PWIs provide an effective method to help guide those bereaved individuals throughout

their grieving phase. “The current pilot study compared the effects of brief positive expressive

writing intervention for enhancing positive affect among bereaved adults” (Rublin 552). As

mentioned above, research prior to the experiment was able to provide a reasonable hypothesis

that questions whether a method as simple as writing will be able to help those struggling with

grief.

The procedure that was carried out through this experiment was no different than that of

the other studies. This particular study can be compared to that of the patients that were

previously overseen. Grief is something that can take a massive toll on a person’s life, it can act

as a potential gateway into several other mental illnesses. It mainly depends on the level of

trauma that occurs to those who happen to stumble across it. All in all, bereavement is not to be

taken lightly due to the potential of the difficult circumstances it can place on an individual. The

grieving participants were required to write about positive memories that they shared with their

lost acquittances.

Based on the results that were gathered, PWIs have managed to maintain a positive

impact on the participants that completed the interventions. “Greater positive emotion word use

mediated positive affect among those in the positive writing condition” (Rublin 560). Despite the
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results seeming rather vague, it is essential to not overlook the fact that bereavement is a tough

dilemma to overcome; nonetheless, even the slightest positive impact may pave a route towards a

more optimistic outcome.

Self-Esteem Among Adolescents

Proceeding to the next articles, arises the topic of lower levels of self confidence among

adolescents. It is no surprise that adolescents within society have the tendency to be far more

vulnerable than more mature adults in our society. Not only do many adolescents undergo shifts

in attitude and several mood swings, but they must live up to the expectations that may be placed

upon them. To elaborate, many youthful individuals must maintain a stable grade point average

(GPA) in terms of their education. It is apparent that not every teenager has the same abilities as

others do in terms of exceeding in classes. Many of them are required to live up to these

expectations due to their parents, and on top of managing their grades, some struggle to fit in or

to maintain their own social status. Therefore, it is very easy for them to fall under more stressful

circumstances that lead to their will being diminished. “Depression in adolescence is a

widespread problem and leads to extensive psychosocial impairments” (Reiter 99).

With these facts being stated, one can arrive at a potential solution that can resolve these

psychological complications. That solution being the resource diary known as positive writing

interventions. “For these reasons, a resource diary has been developed as a four-week positive

writing intervention. The aims of this intervention were to enhance well-being, to promote

emotion regulation and resource realization, as well as to prevent symptoms of depression in

adolescence” (Reiter 104). As stated above, with all the evidence being stated prior to the

conducted study, it seems as if PWIs provide an optimal opportunity to help aid youthful

individuals with their mental complications. “At the post-test, the positive writing group showed
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a lower dysphoric mood, fewer worries and less rumination in comparison with the neutral

writing group” (Reiter 108). To conclude this segment of adolescents, PWIs provide a prominent

and effective manner to boost the self-esteem of teenagers in our world.

Adults With Psychological Issues

Like those adolescents with low self-esteem, comes the topic of adults who deal with low

levels of life satisfaction. Once again, it does not come to the surprise of many people that adults

also manage to deal with mental issues in their daily lives. The reason for that being the fact that

many if not all adults deal with the stress of working and monitoring stability in their financial

endeavors. Many must make several sacrifices in their lives to meet their essential needs. This

may be devoting themselves solely to their jobs and having to lower their time spent with either

family members or friends. Which eventually leads to them resenting themselves and lowering

the more fulfilling aspects of life.

Nonetheless, a simple solution that can be used as therapy for them would be the positive

writing interventions. With the results being just as prominent as the adolescents, adults have

also shown a significant improvement in their self-confidence and life satisfaction. Which proves

that PWIs can create a change in peoples’ lives regardless of how serious their mental health

issues may be.

Conclusion

All things considered; positive writing interventions seem to have proven to be a

successful concept that can help save the lives of many individuals. From former psychiatric

patients to adolescents and adults struggling with internal conflicts, the interventions that were

conducted were not only capable of preventing their mental conditions from worsening but can
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also cure the mental state of many people. As a result, the art of writing as a method for therapy

seems to show a promising future for studies of psychological circumstances.

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Works Cited

Maintaining Mental Health through Positive ... - Wiley Online Library,

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jclp.22463. Accessed 1 Feb. 2024.

Effects of Positive versus Negative Expressive ... - Wiley Online Library,

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jasp.12756. Accessed 9 Feb. 2024.

Wiley Online Library | Scientific Research Articles, Journals, ..., onlinelibrary.wiley.com/.

Accessed 9 Feb. 2024.

Emotional Reactivity to Grief-Related Expressive Writing,

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07481187.2019.1595219. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.

Resource Diary: A Positive Writing Intervention for Promoting Well ...,

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439760.2015.1025423. Accessed 13 Feb. 2024.

Self-Regulated Strategies Development for Persuasive Writing in ... - JSTOR,

www.jstor.org/stable/43153814. Accessed 9 Feb. 2024.