Effects of Expressive Writing Intervention for Women Undergoing Fetal Loss in China: A Randomized Controlled Study.

Expressive writing intervention has been demonstrated to yield health benefits for women. However, there is a dearth of studies examining the effects of such interventions on women who have experienced pregnancy loss, particularly in China. To investigate the potential effects of expressive writing intervention on grief alleviation, coping style improvement, and promotion of post-traumatic growth among women experiencing pregnancy loss. An open, randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. Eighty-two women who had recently experienced pregnancy loss were randomly assigned (1:1) to either the expressive writing intervention group or the control group. Over a period of five weeks following their discharge, women in the intervention group participated in weekly expressive writing sessions where they were instructed to produce at least three essays lasting fifteen to twenty minutes each, based on assigned themes. Assessments of grief, coping styles, and post-traumatic growth were conducted at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and one month post-intervention. The expressive writing intervention demonstrates a significant promotion of post-traumatic growth in women immediately after the intervention (P ＜0.05) and at the 1-month follow-up (P ＜0.05). However, it does not alleviate grief or improve coping styles among women. Expressive writing has demonstrated efficacy in facilitating women's post-traumatic growth and can be implemented as a clinical intervention. However, further investigation is warranted to explore the impact of expressive writing on grief and coping styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]