ArticleBMC nursing2026
Write to heal: the impact of an expressive writing intervention on stress in first-year nursing students.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Mothers' experiences of journaling during their infants' stay in a baby-friendly NICU: a hermeneutic phenomenological study.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFirst-year nursing students often face high stress and challenges in adjusting to academic and social demands, which can negatively affect their psychological well-being and academic performance. Expressive writing, a brief therapeutic approach encouraging reflection on personal thoughts and emotions, has shown promise in reducing stress and enhancing college adjustment.
aimTo evaluate the effectiveness of an expressive writing intervention in reducing stress and improving college adjustment among first-year nursing students in a multicultural higher education setting.
methodsA quasi-experimental, controlled pre-test-post-test design was conducted at the College of Nursing, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, UAE, during the 2023-2024 academic year. Sixty first-year nursing students were recruited via purposive sampling and assigned to an intervention group (n = 30) or control group (n = 30). The intervention group participated in four consecutive daily 15-minute expressive writing sessions addressing academic stress, exams, expectations, and college life. Stress and college adjustment were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at one- and three-month follow-ups using a modified Student Stress Inventory and adjustment to college scale. The control group received no intervention.
resultsBoth groups were comparable at baseline (overall stress: intervention 92.1 ± 13.7 vs. control 91.5 ± 12.9, p > 0.05). Post-intervention, the intervention group showed significant reductions in overall stress at immediate (100.96 ± 17.31 vs. 137.46 ± 7.11), one-month (90.06 ± 15.93 vs. 144.96 ± 7.57), and three-month follow-ups (82.70 ± 20.22 vs. 143.06 ± 8.64; all p < 0.001) compared to the control group. College adjustment scores significantly improved in the intervention group at immediate (2.93 ± 0.52 vs. 1.90 ± 0.71), one-month (3.03 ± 0.61 vs. 1.56 ± 0.67), and three-month assessments (3.16 ± 0.53 vs. 1.83 ± 0.69; all p < 0.001).
conclusionExpressive writing is a simple, low-cost strategy that can meaningfully reduce stress and help first-year nursing students adjust to college life. Beyond measurable outcomes, it offers students a safe space to reflect on personal challenges, promoting self-awareness, emotional resilience, and a more positive academic experience. Incorporating expressive writing into orientation programs or student wellness initiatives may empower students to navigate stress more effectively while fostering a supportive educational environment. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.