Development, feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a positive psychology journaling intervention to support addiction recovery

ABSTRACT

Recovery from substance use disorders can be an arduous, lengthy process, yet there exist few interventions specifically designed to make recovery more reinforcing. This single-group mixed-methods study describes the development, feasibility, acceptability, and impact of a novel journaling intervention that combines aspects of positive psychology and behavioral activation to make recovery more reinforcing. We taught the journaling to women in residential treatment for substance use disorders during eight group sessions, after which participants journaled independently for 2 weeks. The journaling practice was found to be feasible and acceptable. Quantitative data showed improvement in a range of well-being, recovery, and mental health–related factors. Qualitative data showed that the intervention helped participants to recognize what was positive about recovery, to achieve meaningful short-term goals, and to experience a sense of optimism and pride in their accomplishments.

KEYWORDS:

• Positive psychology
• addiction recovery
• substance use disorders
• alcohol use disorders
• journaling
• expressive writing
• behavioral activation
• intervention
• maintenance of behavior change
• reinforcement theory
• gratitude

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the staff of the residential addiction treatment center who graciously hosted this study, the women who receive care at the host setting, including those whom we met while conducting this research, colleagues who read drafts of this manuscript, statistical consultants, the support of the University of Minnesota School of Social Work, and the research assistants who helped with all phases of this work, most notably, Nikki Tillman and Lanae Staab.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data are not available for this article.

Open Scholarship

This article has earned the Center for Open Science badge for Preregistered. The materials are openly accessible at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03903159?term=Krentzman&draw=2&rank=1

Notes

¹ This intervention was formerly called Positive Peer Journaling. We changed the name to describe the journaling more accurately as something that can be done both in community, with peers, and also by one’s self.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Minnesota [142588]; National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health [UL1TR002494]; Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station [MIN-55-056]; USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture, Hatch Project [MN-55-072 and MN-55-064].