Abstract
Das Expressive Schreiben (ES) hat sich in verschiedenen Untersuchungen als hilfreich bei der Verarbeitung belastender Ereignisse erwiesen und es haben sich mehr oder weniger deutliche positive Auswirkungen auf den psychologischen und physiologischen Gesundheitszustand gezeigt. Zunehmend beschäftigen sich Wissenschaftler mit der Frage, ob das ES bei der Formulierung von Lebenszielen zur Verbesserung von Selbstwirksamkeit und Affekt und als Copingstrategie geeignet sein könnte. 31 Studierende der Kunsttherapie und des Coachings wurden randomisiert zwei Gruppen zugeteilt, die beide an drei aufeinanderfolgenden Tagen für zwanzig Minuten entweder über eine positiv imaginierte Zukunft oder ein neutrales Thema schrieben. Untersucht wurden über einen Zeitraum von acht Wochen der positive und negative Affekt (PANAS), die Copingfähigkeiten (COPE) und die Selbstwirksamkeitserwartungen (SWE). In der Experimentalgruppe (EG) kam es nach der Schreibintervention zu einer Zunahme positiver Affekte im Vergleich zu den Ausgangswerten und zur Kontrollgruppe (KG), der sich im Follow-up allerdings verlor. In beiden Gruppen hatte das Schreiben keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf den negativen Affekt, die Copingfähigkeiten und die Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung. Schreiben über eine positiv imaginierte Zukunft vermag den positiven Affekt kurzzeitig zu steigern. Zur langfristigen Stimmungsverbesserung, einer Verbesserung der Copingfähigkeiten und einer Zunahme der Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung bedarf es möglicherweise einer längerdauernden Intervention und eines längeren Nachbeobachtungszeitraums.
Several studies have demonstrated that expressive writing (EW) is able to support coping of stressful events. In addition, EW was shown to have a more or less positive influence on physical and mental health. Scientists are increasingly interested whether EW could be a means of expressing life goals to improve self-efficacy and affect, and whether EW could be used as a coping strategy. Thirty-one art therapy and coaching students were randomized to write during three consecutive days each time for twenty minutes either on a “best possible self” (intervention group) or on a neutral subject (control group). For a period of eight weeks, positive and negative affect (PANAS), coping capacity (COPE), as well as self-efficacy (SWE) were investigated. In the intervention group, there was a stronger increase of positive affects between baseline and measurement after three writing sessions compared to the control group. This effect was no longer obvious at follow-up. In both groups, writing did not significantly influence negative affect, coping capacity, or self-efficacy. Writing about “a best positive self” is able to induce a short-term increase in positive affect. To cause a long-term improvement of the positive affect and the coping capacity as well as an increase in self-efficacy expectancy a prolonged intervention as well as an extended follow-up period may be required.
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