International School, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China.
Hubei Health Industry Development Research Center, School of Health Humanities, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430065, China.
BMC Med Educ. 2024 Nov 1;24(1):1248. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-06186-4.
Depression and anxiety are common psychological issues among international medical students in universities, which have serious negative impacts on their learning and life. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of positive emotional writing in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as enhancing subjective well-being among this population.
This study was conducted at an international college of a comprehensive university in central China. A total of ninety-two participants who met the inclusion criteria were recruited to participate in a single-blind randomized controlled trial, in which participants were not aware that there was an experimental group and a control group. Participants in control received daily psychological care weekly for 8 weeks (n = 46). Correspondingly, participants in experimental group received the positive emotional writing intervention on the basis of daily psychological care. Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and General Well-being Scale (GWB) were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Data from 89 students who completed the entire study (experimental group, n = 44; control group, n = 45) were analyzed.
After the intervention, the scores of SDS and SAS in the experimental group significantly decreased, while the subjective well-being score significantly increased. Although the SAS score of the control group after intervention was significantly lower than before, the decrease in SDS and SAS scores, as well as the increase in GWB score, were significantly greater in the experimental group than in the control group.
The findings suggest that positive emotional writing can effectively reduce the depression and anxiety of international medical students, and significantly enhance their subjective well-being, providing ideas for management to solve the psychological problems of international medical students.
ChiCTR2400087815. Registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.
抑郁和焦虑是国际医学生中常见的心理问题，对他们的学习和生活有严重的负面影响。本研究旨在评估积极情绪写作对缓解该人群焦虑和抑郁症状以及提高主观幸福感的疗效。
本研究在中国中部一所综合性大学的国际学院进行。共招募了 92 名符合纳入标准的参与者参加单盲随机对照试验，参与者不知道有实验组和对照组。对照组每周接受 8 周的日常心理护理（n=46）。相应地，实验组在日常心理护理的基础上接受积极情绪写作干预。采用抑郁自评量表（SDS）、焦虑自评量表（SAS）和总体幸福感量表（GWB）评估干预效果。对完成整个研究的 89 名学生（实验组，n=44；对照组，n=45）的数据进行分析。
干预后，实验组 SDS 和 SAS 评分显著降低，主观幸福感评分显著升高。虽然对照组干预后的 SAS 评分显著低于干预前，但实验组 SDS 和 SAS 评分的降低以及 GWB 评分的升高均显著大于对照组。
研究结果表明，积极情绪写作能有效减轻国际医学生的抑郁和焦虑，显著提高其主观幸福感，为解决国际医学生心理问题的管理提供思路。
ChiCTR2400087815. 在 Chinese Clinical Trial Registry 注册。
