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

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.

Keywords

• sex differences
• gender differences
• expressive writing therapy
• mood states
• childhood leukaemia
• parental stress