Schreibtherapie nach traumatischen Belastungen: Therapieansätze und Wirkmechanismen

 

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Zusammenfassung

Das (schriftliche) Mitteilen von Informationen, Gedanken und Gefühlen zu persönlich relevanten Themen wird mit positiven Auswirkungen auf das Wohlbefinden und die psychische Gesundheit assoziiert. Anwendungsmöglichkeiten des expressiven Schreibens als psychotherapeutische Intervention bei Belastungsfolgen durch belastende/traumatische Lebensereignisse wurden auch im klinischen Kontext intensiv diskutiert. Strukturelle und inhaltliche Variationen des ursprünglich von Pennebaker entwickelten Schreibparadigmas zeigen jedoch sehr unterschiedliche Effekte hinsichtlich allgemeiner psychischer Gesundheitsparameter und der posttraumatischen Belastungssymptomatik. Dieser Übersichtsartikel präsentiert aktuelle Befunde zu Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Wirksamkeit des expressiven Schreibens bzw. schreibtherapeutischen Ansätzen bei posttraumatischen Belastungsstörungen. Bisher diskutierte Wirkfaktoren (Inhibition, Habituation, Konstruktion eines kohärenten Narrativs, Emotionsregulation, soziale Integration) des expressiven Schreibens werden im Hinblick auf ihre Relevanz für die PTBS ausgewertet. Abschließend werden Anwendungsmöglichkeiten in der klinischen Behandlungspraxis diskutiert.

Abstract

The (written) disclosure of information, thoughts and emotions of individually significant tops is associated with positive effects on well-being and the psychological health. The applicability of expressive writing as a psychotherapeutic intervention for stress reactions after stressful/traumatic life events were also intensely discussed in the clinical context. However, structural and content-related variation of the initial writing paradigm resulted in significantly different effects on general psychological health and posttraumatic stress symptoms.

This overview provides current findings to application and efficacy of expressive writing respectively writing therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder. Mechanisms of expressive writing (inhibition, habituation, construction of a coherent narrative, emotion regulation, social integration) are analyzed with regard to their relevance concerning PTSD. Finally, potentials for application in the clinical practice are discussed.

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