Vision for improvement: Expressive writing as an intervention for people with Stargardt’s disease,a rare eye disease

Abstract

This study implemented and evaluated the effectiveness of an expressive writing intervention among patients with Stargardt’s disease, a rare disease due to macular degeneration. Participants were randomly assigned to either an expressive writing intervention or a neutral writing condition. Participants completed measures at three time points: baseline, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks post-intervention. Psychological health outcomes improved at the 3-week follow-up for the intervention condition compared to control. Self-reported physical health improved at the 6-week follow-up in the intervention condition compared to control. These results suggest that expressive writing may be an effective, practical, and low-cost intervention for those with Stargardt’s disease.