Stress Reduction Through a Brief Writing Intervention With Women in Jail

Objective: To assess the feasibility/acceptability of writing as a stress reduction strategy with incarcerated women.

Methods: The authors implemented a writing intervention in which six women wrote on topics of their choosing for 20 minutes on 5 consecutive days. Feasibility was assessed with investigator field notes; daily post-writing evaluations assessed intervention acceptability. The study also assessed the continuation of writing at 1-month postintervention and acceptability of instruments for evaluation of future interventions.

Results: Implementation barriers were minimal; participants voiced enthusiasm about the program and continued to write 3 to 4 days per week in the month postintervention. No problems were encountered in the completion of evaluation instruments.

Conclusion: Writing is a feasible, reproducible stress relief intervention for incarcerated women.