Effects of a coach-guided video-conferencing expressive writing program on facilitating grief resolution in adults with SCI

Abstract

Objective To examine effects of a videoconferencing coach-guided expressive writing program on facilitating grief resolution in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design One group pretest – posttest design with a 1-month follow-up. Setting Home-based videoconferencing. Participants Twenty-four adults with SCI. Interventions 10 weekly 1-hour videoconferencing sessions in which participants engaged in expressive writing guided by writing coaches, either individually or in small groups. Outcome Measures Self-report questionnaires on measures of grief, emotional distress, depression, stress, trouble falling asleep, meaning and purpose, self-efficacy for managing chronic conditions, ability to participate in social roles and activities, and satisfaction with social roles and activities. Results Immediately after completing the program, participants showed significant reductions in measures of severity of grief, trouble falling asleep, and trouble participating in social roles and activities and significant increases in self-efficacy for managing chronic conditions and satisfaction with social roles and activities. Participants maintained benefits at 1-month follow-up, showing significant reductions in measures of severity of grief, trouble falling asleep, and distress related to different difficulties and significant increases in feelings of meaning and purpose in life compared to their scores at pre-program. Post-hoc analysis showed that participants whose injury was sustained within 5 years of study enrollment had significant reductions in change scores of distress and trouble participating in social roles and activities compared to those whose injuries were sustained more than 5 years before the study began. Conclusion The videoconferencing coach-guided expressive writing program helps adults with SCI reduce grief intensity and trouble falling asleep and produces a sustained effect. People who sustained a more recent injury seemed to gain more benefits from the program than those whose injuries occurred less recently. Trial Registration: NCT04721717.