The “Write ‘n’ Let Go 2.0” project, developed by the Psychology Research Center of the University of Minho, was recently highlighted in the media, on the Nós portal and at Rádio Universitária do Minho (RUM, UMinho radio).
This innovative program uses tasks of expressive and positive writing, aiming to support more than 300 university students throughout the year, providing them with a safe and personal space to reflect about issues like anxiety, loneliness, grief, bullying and academic pressure.
Under the coordination of the researchers João Batista, Miguel Gonçalves and Janine Marinai, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, “Write ‘n’ Let Go 2.0” maintains free registration open for students who wish to participate. The program is fully developed online and autonomously, divided into activities over four consecutive days, without direct interaction with the research team. This approach enables each participant to explore and better understand his/her emotional challenges and raise more awareness regarding the resources that can be used to deal with them.
João Batista highlighted that this intervention is a safe and practical tool to promote introspection, simultaneously contributing to decrease the stigma associated to psychotherapy. “‘Write ‘n’ Let Go’ works as a preventive intervention. We know psychotherapy is still seen with stigma, and this program helps before suffering reaches disabling levels”, he explains.
The results of the pilot edition show significant improvements, including the decrease of rumination – repetitive and unproductive patterns of thinking – and a greater capacity of introspection, documented in the article published in the Frontiers in Psychology journal. The team is committed to extend the project, making it accessible to a broader audience in the future, aiming to promote stronger and more accessible mental health.
More news at: instagram.com/writenletgo
