Pilot study: Expressive writing during the waiting time for ambulant psychotherapy in patients with physical diseases and mental comorbidity

Pilot study: Expressive writing during the waiting time for ambulant psychotherapy in patients with physical diseases and mental comorbidity - SES

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00004644

Enrollment

Registered

2013-02-13

Start date

2013-02-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-04-07

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Subjects with physical diseases and mental comorbidity, chapter F3, F4 and F5 (ICD-10). F54 F32 F33 F41 F43

Interventions

Group 1: Intervention group: Patients of the psychotherapeutic outpatient centre for mental disorders in patients with a physical disease accomplish a four-day Expressive Writing project immediately a

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 80 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Patients of the psychotherapeutic outpatient centre for mental disorders in patients with a physical disease (University of Freiburg). Patients are recruited after a first diagnostic session. All patients suffer from a physical disease and mental comorbidity and are waitlisted.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Not included are patients who 1) are unable to write continuously in German for 20 minutes, 2) have a history of trauma, making expressive writing too stressful, 3) do not have a mental disorder, 4) have cognitive disabilities or 5) are currently suicidal.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Endpoint Hypothesis 1: Proportion of subjects, who can accomplish the expressive writing project without problems at home during the waiting time for ambulant psychotherapy.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Endpoint Hypothesis 2: Selfreports both directly after the writing sessions and at the end of the writing project (using questionnaires from Niedtfeld, Schmidt & Scholz, 2008, and Pennebaker, 2010). Niedtfeld, I., Schmidt, A.F. & Scholz, O.B. (2008). Wie wirkt Expressives Schreiben? Differenzielle Wirkfaktoren des Schreibens über belastende Lebensereignisse. Verhaltenstherapie, 18, 91-99. Pennebaker, J.W. (2010). Heilung durch Schreiben. Ein Arbeitsbuch zur Selbsthilfe. Bern: Hans Huber. Endpoint Hypothesis 3: Selfreport questionnaires targeting different aspects of physical and psychological health (SF-12, Bullinger & Kirchberger, 1998; BAI, Margraf & Ehlers, 2007; BDI II, Hautzinger, Keller & Kühner, 2006; BSI, Franke, 2000; PANAS, Krohne, Egloff, Kohlmann & Tausch, 1996; PSS, Cohen & Williamson, 1988; FLZ, Fahrenberg, 2000; VEV, Zielke & Kopf-Mehnert, 1978).).	—

Measure

Time frame

Endpoint Hypothesis 2: Selfreports both directly after the writing sessions and at the end of the writing project (using questionnaires from Niedtfeld, Schmidt & Scholz, 2008, and Pennebaker, 2010). Niedtfeld, I., Schmidt, A.F. & Scholz, O.B. (2008). Wie wirkt Expressives Schreiben? Differenzielle Wirkfaktoren des Schreibens über belastende Lebensereignisse. Verhaltenstherapie, 18, 91-99. Pennebaker, J.W. (2010). Heilung durch Schreiben. Ein Arbeitsbuch zur Selbsthilfe. Bern: Hans Huber. Endpoint Hypothesis 3: Selfreport questionnaires targeting different aspects of physical and psychological health (SF-12, Bullinger & Kirchberger, 1998; BAI, Margraf & Ehlers, 2007; BDI II, Hautzinger, Keller & Kühner, 2006; BSI, Franke, 2000; PANAS, Krohne, Egloff, Kohlmann & Tausch, 1996; PSS, Cohen & Williamson, 1988; FLZ, Fahrenberg, 2000; VEV, Zielke & Kopf-Mehnert, 1978).).

—

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactKatharina Kufner

kufner@psychologie.uni-freiburg.de+49-761-203-3061

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026