THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXPRESSIVE WRITING INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH OF MIGRANTS

The phenomenon of migration is related to adverse experiences that could lead to psychological distress and trauma symptoms. These evidences highlighted the need to plan effective psychological treatments to support migrants’ mental health. In particular, the application of expressive writing intervention (EW) has not been examined in this population. Aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a trauma-fo cused EW on psychological distress, trauma symptoms, alexithymia, and hope for the future in migrants. Twenty-eight migrants were enrolled in a double-blind randomized controlled trial study that included three groups: trauma-focused EW, neutral EW, and control. Participants completed psychological measures at pre-intervention, immediately after the intervention, and at one month of follow-up. The participants of the trauma-focused EW showed an immediate improvement in phobic anxiety and positive total symptoms, and an improvement in somatization, global severity index, and hope for the future at follow-up. The findings showed that EW may be an effective tool for reducing migrant’s distress and could led to long-term improve ments of psychological health. Moreover, the results suggested the potential influence of the hope for the future on anxious symptoms in migrants.