An Expressive Writing Intervention to Cope with Lesbian-Related Stress: The Moderating Effects of Openness about Sexual Orientation

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin J. Lewis ◽  
Valerian J. Derlega ◽  
Eva G. Clarke ◽  
Jenny C. Kuang ◽  
Andrew M. Jacobs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Expressive Writing ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Writing Intervention ◽  
Expressive Writing Intervention ◽  
Related Stress

Over the past two decades, expressive writing interventions have been used successfully to reduce distress and improve well-being for those dealing with traumatic events, stressors, and illnesses. The purpose of this study was to investigate an expressive writing intervention for lesbian-related stressors. As expected, writing about traumatic events related to sexual orientation reduced self-reported confusion and perceived stress over a 2-month period for those lesbians who were less open about their sexual orientation. Interestingly, writing about such traumatic experiences was associated with increases in confusion and perceived stress for those who were more open about their sexual orientation. Applying this paradigm to assist individuals in coping with stressors related to their sexual orientation represents an important addition to the expressive writing literature. Furthermore, it offers a promising, cost-effective method to assist closeted lesbians in coping with stressors related to their sexual orientation.

Coping With Community Violence: An Expressive Writing Intervention

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Kliewer ◽  
S. J. Lepore ◽  
A. D. Farrell ◽  
K. W. Allison ◽  
A. L. Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Violence ◽  
Expressive Writing ◽  
Writing Intervention ◽  
Expressive Writing Intervention

Age Differences in Types and Perceptions of Daily Stress

2021 ◽  
pp. 009141502110015
Author(s):  
Alexis R. Stefaniak ◽  
Jessica M. Blaxton ◽  
C. S. Bergeman
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Preventative Care ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
Daily Stress ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Related Stress

The present study explores differences in daily stress across individuals of varying ages. Specifically, we explore whether age group (young adult, midlife, late midlife, later life) relates to differences in types of stress (family, friends, partner, health, finances, work), total stress exposure, and perceptions of daily stress intensity. Participants from the Notre Dame Study of Health & Well-being (NDHWB; N = 891) completed daily questionnaires assessing negative small life events and perceived stress for 8 weeks. Findings indicated that young adults reported a higher average number of family, spouse, finance, and work-related stress. Additionally, total daily stress was highest among young adults, and perceived stress was lowest among later life adults. Because daily stress relates to long-term mental and physical stress, gaining a better understanding of how individuals at different points in the life span uniquely experience stress can inform intervention and preventative care techniques aimed at promoting optimal well-being.

Investigating the influence of expressive writing exercises on the working memory of middle adolescents and young adults in South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 008124632110434
Author(s):  
Jonita Swart ◽  
Chris Janeke
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Expressive Writing ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Writing Intervention ◽  
Expressive Writing Intervention ◽  
Solution Focused ◽  
Writing Exercises ◽  
Positive Effect

This study investigated the influence of expressive writing on the working memory capacity of middle adolescents (learners 15–17 years old) and young adults (students 18–24 years old) in the South African context. The assumption underlying the research was that expressive writing about a stressful event would reduce unwanted thoughts and the resultant demand on cognitive resources, thereby increasing working memory capacity. Two experiments were conducted involving a sample of 28 school learners and a sample of 38 university students. In each experiment, the participants were assigned to three writing conditions: a factual event for the control group and either just a stressful event, or a solution to a stressful event, for the two experimental groups. It was postulated that the solution-focused group would gain the most from the expressive writing tasks. Working memory capacity assessments were conducted before and after the expressive writing intervention and again about 14 weeks later to test for a long-term effect on working memory capacity. A positive effect was found regarding the working memory capacity of the students, but there was no statistically significant improvement in the working memory capacity of the learners. Furthermore, although the results of the student groups did indicate that an expressive writing intervention may enhance working memory capacity, this effect was not mostly restricted to the solution-focused experimental groups as was hypothesised. Instead, the results suggested that expressive writing exercises may have had a positive effect on the memory performance of all three groups.

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