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Does Writing About Suicidal Thoughts and Feelings Reduce Them?
Author(s) -
Kovac Stacey H.,
Range Lillian M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.32.4.428.22335
Subject(s) - feeling , depression (economics) , psychological intervention , psychology , clinical psychology , suicidal ideation , suicide prevention , psychiatry , psychotherapist , medicine , poison control , medical emergency , social psychology , economics , macroeconomics
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.