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The effect of written emotional expression on depression following mild traumatic brain injury: a pilot study
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http://hdl.handle.net/1860/2898
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| Title: | The effect of written emotional expression on depression following mild traumatic brain injury: a pilot study |
| Authors: | Anderson, Shakesha S. |
| Keywords: | Clinical psychology
Brain -- Wounds and injuries
Depression, Mental |
| Issue Date: | 23-Oct-2008 |
| Abstract: | The purpose of the following study was to examine the effects of an emotional expression exercise on depressed mood in a population of individuals who sustained mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). Depression is the most common psychological disorder that develops following mTBI and a significant number of people are affected by it. It was proposed that emotional expression could be a practical, cost-effective, and time-efficient tool that might decrease depressed mood in this population. Forty-two participants with history of mild Traumatic Brain Injury and who reported experiencing depressed mood were recruited for this study. Participants were divided into two groups, Emotional Expression (EE) and Neutral (N) groups, and were required to complete three writing exercises from their homes. The Emotional Expression group was instructed to write about their thoughts and feelings about their head injury. The Neutral group was instructed to write about the details of the day, excluding thoughts and feelings. Each participant also completed measures of immediate affect, mood, coping, and neurobehavioral functioning. Low power prevented this study from obtaining significant results in most of the outcome measures. Relationships between depressed mood and three coping indices (behavioral disengagement, planning, and acceptance) were revealed. the null hypothesis, Despite some findings, statistical analyses failed to capture or disconfirm hypotheses. Therefore, a post-hoc qualitative analysis was accomplished. Responders were compared to non-responders and differences in narratives emerged. Analysis revealed that focusing on perceived benefits may result in a reduction in symptoms associated with depressed mood following mTBI. Implications for future research in this area are discussed. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/1860/2898 |
| Appears in Collections: | Drexel Theses and Dissertations
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