Laisa Mena Rivera

Professor Malcolm Campbell

WRDS 1103

October 3, 2022

Questions Proposal: Writing to deal with Depression

Initial Inquiry Question(s)

● How does writing affect depressive episodes or suicidal thoughts?

● How can writing be used as an aid for young adults with depression?

● How can writing positively or negatively affect young adults with depression?

Why are your questions significant? Why are they worth asking?

My questions are significant because depression is a severe mental illness that according to the

National Institute of Mental Health affects approximately 17.3 million American adults.

Depression can be defined as a mood disorder that distorts feelings, and thoughts, and hinders

the ability to carry out daily activities. Symptoms of depression can include feeling hopeless,

changes in appetite and weight, difficulty concentrating, thoughts of suicide, or suicide attempts.

My questions are of significance because not everyone can afford to see a psychiatrist for

medication or a therapist for therapy. Some people are forced to find alternative ways to cope

with their depression on a daily basis.

Who else is asking your questions?

These questions are typically asked by mental health resources such as the National Institute of

Mental Health or suicide hotlines. These questions can also be requested by therapists who want

to find a coping mechanism for their patients with depression or individuals who are suffering

from depression.
Laisa Mena Rivera

Professor Malcolm Campbell

WRDS 1103

October 3, 2022

Where are the questions being asked? Where are the conversations about your topic

happening?

The questions are being asked in mental health blogs, mental health journals, and most

importantly, mental health associations. Mental health hotlines such as BetterHelp, 988 Suicide

& Crisis Lifeline, and the suicide hotline (1-888-628-9454) are having these conversations and

are looking for ways to help people in crisis.

What implications for the future do your questions have? What future questions will be asked?

From these questions, we might be able to take away some negative schema from mental health

and be able to ask what other coping mechanisms might be helpful for people with depression.

Some questions that can be posed in the future are “Does writing benefit a peculiar age group

more than others?” or “ Is depression so subjective that coping mechanisms that aren’t

medication, aren’t feasible or effective?”

What do you hope to learn based on the research you’ve done so far?

I hope to learn how writing can be a coping mechanism for depression or if it has any negative

effects on people with depression. I would like to learn how I can use writing to cope with my

own depression as I began my journey without medication.

Sources:

Source 1: https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-journaling/
Laisa Mena Rivera

Professor Malcolm Campbell

WRDS 1103

October 3, 2022

Journaling reduces the number of sick days a person takes off due to mental health and helps

people accept the traumatic events and experiences, rather than judging them. Journaling helps

promote self-acceptance and mindfulness. Aids in lowering blood pressure, less time spent in

hospital, higher student grades, and fewer depressive episodes.

Source 2: https://www.healthline.com/health/depression-writing

Depression isn’t something you can treat on your own, although journalism may help cope with

depression, it should be combined with professional treatment. Journalism boosts mindfulness,

makes emotions manageable, and identifies triggers. Can help reframe negative thoughts and

experiences and create a space for positive self-talk. A small study conducted in 2013 took 20

people diagnosed with major depression and asked them to journal about their feelings for about

20 mins for more than 3 days in a row. The results concluded that the people reported lower

levels of depression lasting longer than 4 weeks.

Source 3: https://fherehab.com/learning/journaling-depression

Journalism enables the release of intrusive and distressing thoughts. Allows for introspection of

emotions and old negative patterns. Journalism is a cheap and easy technique for mental health

improvement.
Laisa Mena Rivera

Professor Malcolm Campbell

WRDS 1103

October 3, 2022

Source 4:

https://www.holstee.com/blogs/mindful-matter/5-science-based-benefits-of-journaling#Journalin

g_Can_Reduce_Depression_and%20Anxiety

Getting thoughts on paper allows a person dealing with depression to think more analytically

rather than solely emotionally. A 2006 study conducted by Stice, Burton, Bearman, and Rohde

identified daily journalism as being as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy. Journalism

creates a sense of gratitude and promotes long-term well-being through the creation and progress

of goals. Another effect can be the reduction of the frequency of intrusive thoughts and

depressive episodes.

Source 5:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/anger-in-the-age-entitlement/201309/the-good-and-th

e-bad-journaling#:~:text=Journaling%20can%20have%20a%20negative%20effect%20on%20yo

ur,record%20it%20instead%20of%20experiencing%20what%20is%20happening%29

Negative effects of journaling could include a train of blaming instead of solutions, wallowing in

negativity, and causing a person to live too much in their head. This also molds you to be a

passive observer and focuses on how you remember the experience rather than how it happened,

and overall can lead a person to be self-obsessed.

Interest in this Topic

Laisa Mena Rivera

Professor Malcolm Campbell

WRDS 1103

October 3, 2022

I am interested in learning how writing can be an effective coping mechanism for coping with

depression because I myself have been diagnosed with depression in the last two years and have

felt symptoms of anxiety from a young age. I have been to therapy and have tried medication in

the past. I would like to learn how writing can help me cope as I try to pull away from therapy

and medication to regain a sense of normality in my life again. I am also a huge advocate for

mental health and I understand how expensive therapy and medication can be and finding a

positive way to cope with intrusive thoughts. Although I haven’t tried journaling I have tried the

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, where you can write in a chat to trained mental health workers

about your thoughts and feelings. Writing to them has helped me in moments in my life when I

didn’t think I could keep living so I understand the importance of writing.

Other Questions

● What is the effect of writing for young adults with depression if they have an underlying

(high functioning autism, anxiety, etc.) diagnosis combined with depression?