Effects of expressive writing of positive emotions on mental health among patients with ovarian cancer undergoing postoperative chemotherapy

Purpose: Patients with ovarian cancer often experience significant psychological distress during postoperative chemotherapy, including anxiety and depression. Expressive writing of positive emotions has shown potential in improving psychological health and fostering post-traumatic growth (PTG) in cancer patients. However, its application to ovarian cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy remains under-explored.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 82 ovarian cancer patients undergoing postoperative chemotherapy at a tertiary hospital in Changchun, China. Patients were divided into an experimental group (n = 40) receiving expressive writing intervention and a control group (n = 42) receiving routine care. Outcomes were assessed using the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) at baseline and after a 6-week intervention.

Results: After the intervention, the experimental group exhibited significantly higher PTGI scores (mean ± SD: 73.43 ± 6.95) compared to the control group (63.19 ± 5.91, P < 0.001), with improvements observed across all five PTG dimensions (P < 0.05). The experimental group also showed a greater reduction in SAS (mean ± SD: 38.25 ± 4.31 vs. 45.12 ± 5.17, P < 0.001) and SDS scores (mean ± SD: 42.10 ± 3.86 vs. 48.75 ± 4.62, P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Expressive writing of positive emotions significantly enhances PTG and reduces anxiety and depression in ovarian cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. This intervention offers a cost-effective and feasible approach for psychological support in clinical settings.