Sex Differences in the Outcome of Expressive Writing in Parents of Children With Leukaemia

Authors

  • Dorte Mølgaard Christiansen Orcid
    National Center of Psychotraumatology, Institute of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  • Maria Luisa Martino Orcid
    Department of Humanistic Studies, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
  • Ask Elklit Orcid
    National Center of Psychotraumatology, Institute of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
  • Maria Francesca Freda Orcid
    Department of Humanistic Studies, Federico II University, Naples, Italy

Abstract

Background: Sex differences are widely reported in clinical psychology but are rarely examined in interventions. Method: This mixed-method explorative study examined sex differences in 13 mothers and 10 fathers of children in the off-therapy phase of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Parents underwent an expressive writing intervention using the guided written disclosure protocol (GWDP). Results: Mothers had more negative mood profiles than fathers but improved more during the intervention. Conclusion: Though preliminary, our findings highlight the importance of sex as a potential moderator of intervention and treatment outcome that could be of great clinical significance.