Research Projects
R4. The Use of Emotionally Expressive and Narrative Writing to Facilitate Coping and Adaptation after Stroke
This study assesses how writing in different ways about the experience of recovery can help physical and psychological health and activity after stroke.
Abstract
Expressive, narrative writing has not been tested with stroke survivors as a means of facilitating adaptation. Phase I of this project is a randomized controlled study of the efficacy of expressive writing to deal with the trauma associated with stroke recovery. Seventy-six subjects, six months or more post stroke, will be randomly assigned to write about different topics associated with stroke recovery over a four session period with the help of a Peer Mentor and modifications to accommodate impairments. Data will be collected at baseline, post intervention, and four months to assess the effect of writing on physical and psychological health and activity. Phase II is a quasi-experimental, within subjects design with a subsample from Phase I assessing the use of writing groups to produce narratives of stroke recovery for publication.
Personal Narratives
Below you will find essays from participants in our research project on expressive
and narrative writing.
We often communicate with and disclose ourselves to others through personal stories.
By telling of our accomplishments, trials, joys and sorrows, we show others who we are
and give meaning to our lives. The following collection of essays by stroke survivors
illustrates the range of issues, opinions and feelings that can be part of the inner lives
of individuals coping with recovery.
They convey how perseverance, self-reliance and conviction can lead to an ultimate triumph.
The authors offer their reflections on their experiences in the spirit of hope and support to
others recovering from stroke, their families, and intimate others.
Each essay is available as a PDF.
Note: You will need Adobe's Acrobat Reader to view these documents. If you
do not already have Adobe Acrobat installed, click
here to download it for free.
| A Change in My Life |
PDF |
| Overcoming by Faith |
PDF |
| Losses and Gains |
PDF |
| If I Knew Then What I Know Now |
PDF |
| A Family Recovers |
PDF |
| The Arrival of a Stroke: From Confusion to Self Acceptance |
PDF |
| There's Rehab and Then There's REHAB! |
PDF |
| A Stroke of Bad Luck: My Experience of Recovery |
PDF |
| Restoring a Sense of Self |
PDF |
| Life After Stroke: Never Stop Fighting |
PDF |
| The Open Road |
PDF |
| Reflections on My Stroke and How It Has Changed Me |
PDF |
| My Experience of Recovery |
PDF |
| Driving - My Gnawing Anguish |
PDF |
| The Nightmare You Can Wake Up From |
PDF |
| The Surprise Healing |
PDF |
| My Journey to Survive |
PDF |
| I Thought of It As A Challenge |
PDF |
| My Aphasia |
PDF |
| My Life Is Not My Fault, But It Is My Responsibility |
PDF |
| My Story |
PDF |
| Removing Obstacles |
PDF |
| A Chapter in My Road to Recovery |
PDF |
| From Stroke Victim to Stroke Survivor to Health Care Reform Advocate |
PDF |
| God, My Marathon Partner |
PDF |
| Victory in What Seems Like Defeat |
PDF |
| Visually Unimpaired |
PDF |
Contact Information: Robert Hartke, PhD
rhartke@ric.org
Rosemarie B. King, PhD
rbking@northwestern.edu
Florence Denby, CNP
fdenby@ric.org
Comments
Send us your comments about these essays.