A randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of self‐reflective writing focused on successful and unsuccessful coping experiences on resilience

Abstract

Evidence supports the effectiveness of self‐reflective training approaches for the development of resilience. Building this work, the objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the focus of coping self‐reflective activities on resilience by applying a self‐reflection approach to a sample of 254 Australian ministry workers. This randomized controlled trial included three attention‐matched conditions: (1) self‐reflective writing focused on successful coping, (2) self‐reflective writing focused on unsuccessful coping or (3) written descriptions of stressor events alone. Participants were assessed across four time points: prior to, immediately post, 3‐months, and 6‐months after the intervention. Results demonstrated that self‐reflective writing was more effective in enhancing perceived resilience than descriptive writing. Analyses also showed greater maintenance of beneficial effects in the successful self‐reflection condition, compared to the unsuccessful condition. These findings support the use of self‐reflection training to strengthen individuals' psychological resilience, particularly when focused on successful coping situations for those who initially experience more ruminative thought.