Brydon, Cassidy

Expressive writing involves writing about negative experiences and emotions in a journal. This practice, used by researchers and clinicians alike, is a well-supported treatment for many psychological disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Challenging the traditional format, this study utilized both a completely online administration method as well as a mixed in-person-online administration method. Participants in the study included non-treatment-seeking college students who were randomly assigned to different administration methods (purely online or mixed online and in-person) and writing groups (factual and emotional writing, fact-only writing, and non-trauma writing). The study found increased rates of completion in the online administration and factual and emotional writing groups. Textual analysis also found increased negative affect writing with a positive outlook in those who completed the study. Similarly, variables for confidence and authenticity demonstrated difference in group variables indicating instruction adherence.