Expressive Writing for Co-Occurring Depression and Alcohol Misuse

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

89 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2008-08-31

Study Completion Date

2011-12-31

Brief Summary

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\*\*\*Please note that this study does not offer comprehensive treatment program for alcohol abuse or depression. Please do not contact the study staff if you are seeking psychological treatment. Further, this study is only enrolling people who are clients at Career and Recovery Resources, Inc., in Houston.

The hypothesis is that writing about feelings and thoughts will help people who are in group treatment feel less depressed and abuse alcohol less.

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Detailed Description

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Expressive writing applied to a variety of populations (e.g., HIV, cancer, PTSD, depression) has been associated with health improvements, reductions in symptoms of emotional distress, and one preliminary study found reductions in alcohol misuse among college students. Data suggest that expressive writing is a technique to facilitate emotional processing that can influence a number of clinical outcomes by facilitating cognitive restructuring (Hunt, 1998; Pennebaker, 2004). In addition to examining cognitive content change following expressive writing, we believe the effects of emotional writing on mood and drinking may involve two additional processes that have been found significant for both depression and alcohol misuse, namely experiential avoidance and ruminative thinking. We hypothesize that expressive writing will lead to less drinking and enhanced mood by reducing: (1) negative thought content, (2) experiential avoidance of unpleasant private events (e.g., negative thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations), and (3) ruminative thinking.

Conditions

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Depression Alcohol, Drinking

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Expressive Writing

In addition to attending group therapy as usual, participants write about their feelings about an issue of their choosing three times during a two week period for at least 20 minutes each time.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Expressive writing (in addition to group therapy as usual).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the expressive writing condition write about their feelings about an issue of their choosing three times, for at least 20 minutes each time, during a two week period.

Treatment as Usual

Participants attend group therapy as usual only.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Expressive writing (in addition to group therapy as usual).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the expressive writing condition write about their feelings about an issue of their choosing three times, for at least 20 minutes each time, during a two week period.

Interventions

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Expressive writing (in addition to group therapy as usual).

Participants in the expressive writing condition write about their feelings about an issue of their choosing three times, for at least 20 minutes each time, during a two week period.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Enrolled in group therapy program at Career and Recovery Resources, Inc.
* Must be at least 18.
* Willing and able to participate in the study through the one month follow up.
* Able to provide the contact information of at least two people who can generally locate their whereabouts.
* Speak English fluently.

Exclusion Criteria

* Inability to read, write, speak English.
* History of bipolar or psychotic disorders.
* Severe medical, cognitive and /or psychiatric impairment that precludes cooperation with study protocol.
* Substance withdrawal symptoms requiring medical attention.
* Currently receiving other individual psychosocial therapy outside of C\&R for substance abuse or other psychiatric conditions with the exception of AA, NA or CA.
* Impending incarceration or other factor that would create inability or unwillingness to participate in the 6 week long study period (e.g., halfway house or other aftercare program restrictions).

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No