Efficacy Of Expressive Writing Therapy in Reducing Embitterment Among University Students
Keywords:
Embitterment, Negative Life Events, Experimental Study, Expressive Writing Therapy, University StudentsAbstract
The emotional well-being of university students greatly influences their academic success and overall quality of life. Higher education often exposes students to various stressors that can harm their mental health. This study explores the impact of expressive writing therapy on mitigating embitterment, a detrimental emotional response characterized by feelings of injustice and resentment. Using the Negative Life Events Scale for Students (NLESS; Buri, 2018) and the Embitterment Scale for Students (EMBSS; Javaid & Mahmood, 2023), the study involved 20 participants in a pre-post experimental design. The results of Pearson moment correlation found that negative life events and embitterment has strong positive correlation. Further, paired samples t-test results indicate significant reduction in embitterment scores following expressive writing therapy. This research adds to the growing evidence supporting expressive writing as a valuable tool for improving emotional well-being among university students, with implications for enhancing mental health interventions in educational settings.
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