Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda
Background: Treatments for adolescents affected by long-term loss in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. As school-based interventions are cost-efficient and easy to disseminate, an evaluation of this treatment setting for adolescents is worthwhile. Objective: Examining the effect of a sch...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2014-12-01
|
| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/24917/pdf_2 |
| _version_ | 1818529509426593792 |
|---|---|
| author | Johanna Unterhitzenberger Rita Rosner |
| author_facet | Johanna Unterhitzenberger Rita Rosner |
| author_sort | Johanna Unterhitzenberger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Treatments for adolescents affected by long-term loss in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. As school-based interventions are cost-efficient and easy to disseminate, an evaluation of this treatment setting for adolescents is worthwhile. Objective: Examining the effect of a school-based unstructured emotional writing intervention (sensu Pennebaker, group 1) about the loss of a parent to reduce adaptation problems to loss, compared to writing about a hobby (group 2), and non-writing (group 3). Method: We randomly assigned 14–18-year-old Rwandan orphans to one of the three conditions (n=23 per condition). Before and after the intervention, subjects completed the Prolonged Grief Questionnaire for Adolescents and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, Part A, on depression as self-report measures of long-term effects of early parental loss. Results: Repeated measures analyses of variance showed no differential effect for any of the three conditions but revealed a significant effect of time at posttest regarding grief severity. Reduction of grief symptoms was significantly higher in subjects with elevated grief. Depressive symptoms showed no significant change from pre- to posttest in the emotional writing condition, whereas they significantly decreased in the control condition. Conclusions: Results imply that unstructured, brief emotional writing might not be indicated in adolescents affected by early parental loss who show severe and long-term distress; a more structured approach seems recommendable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:07:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e2cc1ea10ec740b0917fd8d2f025d288 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T17:07:47Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e2cc1ea10ec740b0917fd8d2f025d2882022-12-22T00:57:38ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662014-12-015011010.3402/ejpt.v5.2491724917Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in RwandaJohanna Unterhitzenberger0Rita Rosner1Clinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, GermanyClinical and Biological Psychology, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Eichstätt, GermanyBackground: Treatments for adolescents affected by long-term loss in low- and middle-income countries are lacking. As school-based interventions are cost-efficient and easy to disseminate, an evaluation of this treatment setting for adolescents is worthwhile. Objective: Examining the effect of a school-based unstructured emotional writing intervention (sensu Pennebaker, group 1) about the loss of a parent to reduce adaptation problems to loss, compared to writing about a hobby (group 2), and non-writing (group 3). Method: We randomly assigned 14–18-year-old Rwandan orphans to one of the three conditions (n=23 per condition). Before and after the intervention, subjects completed the Prolonged Grief Questionnaire for Adolescents and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, Part A, on depression as self-report measures of long-term effects of early parental loss. Results: Repeated measures analyses of variance showed no differential effect for any of the three conditions but revealed a significant effect of time at posttest regarding grief severity. Reduction of grief symptoms was significantly higher in subjects with elevated grief. Depressive symptoms showed no significant change from pre- to posttest in the emotional writing condition, whereas they significantly decreased in the control condition. Conclusions: Results imply that unstructured, brief emotional writing might not be indicated in adolescents affected by early parental loss who show severe and long-term distress; a more structured approach seems recommendable.http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/24917/pdf_2Bereavementprolonged griefadolescentsorphansschool-baseddisclosurewriting |
| spellingShingle | Johanna Unterhitzenberger Rita Rosner Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda European Journal of Psychotraumatology Bereavement prolonged grief adolescents orphans school-based disclosure writing |
| title | Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda |
| title_full | Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda |
| title_fullStr | Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda |
| title_short | Lessons from writing sessions: a school-based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in Rwanda |
| title_sort | lessons from writing sessions a school based randomized trial with adolescent orphans in rwanda |
| topic | Bereavement prolonged grief adolescents orphans school-based disclosure writing |
| url | http://www.ejpt.net/index.php/ejpt/article/view/24917/pdf_2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johannaunterhitzenberger lessonsfromwritingsessionsaschoolbasedrandomizedtrialwithadolescentorphansinrwanda AT ritarosner lessonsfromwritingsessionsaschoolbasedrandomizedtrialwithadolescentorphansinrwanda |