寫快樂日記對於心理健康的好處

Benefi ts of Writing a Happy Diary

目的：在心理健康促進行動中，如何提升個體的幸福感是一個重要的議題。在國外已經發展許多正向心理介入活動，本研究將以大學生為樣本，來探討撰寫快樂日記對於提升幸福感的效果。方法：本研究邀請19 名男姓大學生與19 名女姓大學生撰寫快樂日記持續兩個月（2014 年10 月底到2015 年1 月初），採用生活滿意度量表以及簡式精神症狀量表作為成效指標。本研究經過IRB 審查與成員知情同意下進行，並且於介入前一週進行前測，介入後一個月與兩個月進行後測。結果：在撰寫日記前參與者的平均生活滿意度為18.6 ± 3.5，心理痛苦指數為6.7 ± 3.6；在撰寫快樂日記一個月後，生活滿意度提升為20.9 ± 3.6，心理痛苦降低為5.4 ± 3.2，達顯著性差異 (T = 3.6, p = 0.001; T = -2.5, p < 0.05) 在撰寫快樂日記兩個月後，生活滿意度提升為22.9 ± 3.5，心理痛苦指數下降為4.8 ± 3.4，皆達顯著差異 (T =7.62, p < 0.001 ; T= -3.5, p < 0.001)。結論：快樂日記（每天記錄一件好事）是一個簡單易行的正向心理介入活動，除了可以提升幸福感外，亦可減低心理困擾。其在未來可推展到臨床應用方面。

Objective: Enhancing one’s well-being is an important issue in mental health promotion. Many studies have found the effi cacy of the positive intervention on the well-being or mental health in the healthy population. In this study, the effi cacy of writing the happy diary was tested on a sample of college students. Method: We invited 19 male and 19 female college students to write the happy diary for 2 months during October 2014 to January 2015, which involved writing about one positive event every day. In addition, we used the life satisfaction scale (LS) and the brief psychiatric symptom rating scale (BSRS-5) as a mental health index at pre-test, at one month since writing the happy diary commenced, and at the end of two months. Result: Before writing the happy diary, the mean ± standard deviation of life satisfaction and distress scores were 18.6 ± 3.5 and 6.8 ± 3.7, respectively. After 1-month happy diary intervention, the mean ± SD of life satisfaction score was increased to 21.0 ± 3.6 and the distress score reduced to 5.4 ± 3.2, and a paired t-test revealed signifi cant differences (T = 3.6, p = 0.001; T = -2.5 p = 0.05). After the 2-month happy diary intervention, the mean ± SD of life satisfaction score was increased to 22.4 ± 3.5 and the distress score reduced to 5.0 ± 3.6), and a paired t-test revealed signifi cant differences (t = 7.6, p < 0.001 and t = -3.5, p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Writing the happy diary was a simple and positive activity that could reduce mental distress and enhance life satisfaction. This fi nding could be useful to develop the programs of mental health promotion.