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JOSS :
Journal of Social Science
EMOTIONAL CATHARSIS TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION IN MENTAL
ILLNESS SYMPTOMS WITH THE MEDIATOR OF THERAPEUTIC
JOURNALING IN EARLY ADULTHOOD
Rindang Wahjuningtijas
Universitas Indraprasta PGRI Jakarta, Indonesia
E-mail: [email protected]
KEYWORDS
emotional catharsis,
mental health,
depression, therapy
journaling, early
adulthood
ABSTRACT
National Adolescent Mental Health Survey (I-NAMSHAS) 2023 mental
health problems are most worrying because 1 in 3 adolescents experience
mental health, 1 in 20 have symptoms of mental disorders in the last 12
months, and 15.5 million (34.9 percent) adolescents experience moderate
mental problems, one of which is an indication of depression. Depression is
a mood disorder, where a person's prolonged emotional condition colors the
process of thinking feeling, and behaving. Journaling is an action taken to
pour ideas, thoughts, and even emotions into the form of writing, and
drawings, the benefits of which can be attributed to relieving mental
disorders. Excessive stress often disrupts the physical and mental state of
individuals, before that happens it is best to take immediate prevention, one
of which is by doing journaling therapy. Early adulthood is a period which
is considered a critical period after being released from adolescence, which
occurs in the 20s to 30s, he considers it critical because this stage is the
initial stage of career and family formation. The conclusion of this
discussion is the process of using catharsis methods to reduce mental health
disorders in a person in early adulthood (age 20-30 years), after doing
emotional catharsis through journaling techniques each respondent feels
better because there is an outlet for his emotions and finally feels better,
journaling techniques are the right emotional catharsis media in reducing or
relieving symptoms of mental disorders.
INTRODUCTION
The World Health Organization in 2001 stated that mental health is a condition of well-
being that individuals are aware of that includes the ability to manage reasonable life stress,
to work productively and productively, and to participate in their community.
The importance of always maintaining mental health needs to be known early because
someone with a healthy mentality will also affect the physical condition as well as the quality
of life, when someone feels psychologically, socially, and emotionally prosperous it can be
said that the individual has a healthy mentality.
According to Malow and Mittleman, the characteristics of mentally healthy people are
to have an adequate sense of security, a sense of security in interacting with themselves and
others in their work, family, and society, they can guarantee relationships with anyone
without anxiety, suspicion, or fear.
In the past few months, Indonesian people's awareness has increased about mental
health issues because there have been several communities, campaigns, chats, seminars on
Volume 2 Number 9 September 2023
p- ISSN 2963-1866- e-ISSN 2963-8909
Vol 2, No 9 September 2023
Emotional Catharsis To Overcome Depression In Mental Illness
Symptoms With The Mediator Of Therapeutic Journaling In
Early Adulthood
https://joss.al-makkipublisher.com/index.php/js
social media, and even movies that discuss mental health. Although there has been a lot of
campaigning on mental health issues, recently people have appeared who claim to have
mental disorders, many are still confused when responding to other people who experience
or themselves who understand that they have symptoms of mental disorders, namely
depression.
Wanita Indonesia Keren (WIK) Presents findings stating that 1 in 2 Indonesians have
mental health disorders (Ameera.republika.co.id - 28 May 2023) "Indonesia is facing a
mental health emergency", lately There has been a lot of flexing, bullying, violence
committed by many people, narcissism, domestic violence, intimidation is a mental disorder,
people should start to care about the environment around us if they encounter these actions,
Maria Ekowati chairman (WIK) said WIK Encourage Mental Health to be included in the
health law.
Maria said the cumulative percentage of Indonesians with mental health problems is
52 percent. because according to the Indonesia National Adolescent Mental Health Survey
(I-NAMSHAS) 2023 report, mental health problems are most worrying because 1 in 3
adolescents experience mental health, 1 in 20 have symptoms of mental disorders in the last
12 months, and 15.5 million (34.9 percent) adolescents experience moderate mental
problems, one of which is an indication of depression.
Based on the data above, it is necessary to understand and educate about emotional
catharsis through journaling techniques for individuals in early adulthood who are most prone
to experiencing symptoms of mental disorders.
Referring to "The Effect of Catharsis in Expressive Writing as an Intervention for Mild
Depression in College Students" journal.undip.ac.id (2011) by Novi Qonitatin, Sri
Widyawati, and Gusti Yuli Asih, which shows that emotional catharsis techniques can
alleviate the symptoms of depression experienced by students where students are in the age
period of 19 to 30 years which can be categorized as early adulthood.
Meanwhile, based on the journal. Odisha .ac.iad (2023) "The Relationship between
Social Media Use and Catharsis in Vocational Students" by Rispanggi Supriyatna, Dini
Rakhmawai, and Desi Maulia, it is known that many adolescents use emotional catharsis
techniques through writing to vent their emotions in various ways including writing catharsis
through the media.
The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of the influence of journaling
therapy on mental health disorders (depression) experienced by individuals in early
adulthood (students aged 20-30 years). With this journaling therapy, it is hoped that every
individual who enters the phase of early adulthood can do it independently or independently
as steps to avoid and distance themselves from disturbances or attacks of mental disorders
that can interfere with the mental health (depression) of a person who is in early adulthood,
so that they can become a good person and can carry out their duties properly and correctly,
With this research it is hoped that when in early adulthood a person can carry out journaling
therapy independently or independently to reduce and relieve the symptoms of mental
disorders that he is experiencing in maintaining his mental health.
Emotional Catharsis To Overcome Depression In Mental
Illness Symptoms With The Mediator Of Therapeutic
Journaling In Early Adulthood
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METHOD RESEARCH
This type of research is descriptive, which is research that provides a systematic and
factual description of the existing situation on the object of research, according to Arni M
and Yuskal Kusman (20020) descriptive research is research related to data collection to
provide an overview of data or confirmation of a concept.
The type of data collected is primary data Sugiono (2011) explains that primary data is
obtained directly from research subjects. The subjects of this research are students who have
entered the early adulthood phase (20-30 years).
The instrument used to collect data in this study is journal data from each research
subject, the data that has been obtained is analyzed using qualitative descriptive data analysis
techniques.
This research method uses a questionnaire method whose respondents are 15 students
who are entering the early adulthood phase aged 20 to 30 years from 5 different universities
to see the extent of the influence of journaling therapy in reducing the symptoms of mental
disorders that are being experienced by adolescents entering the early adulthood phase.
The first step is to conduct a test to see the level of symptoms of mental disorders
experienced by someone entering the period or phase of early adulthood and then journaling
therapy is carried out to see the extent of the influence of this journaling therapy to see the
effect of this journaling therapy, then a retest is carried out to see the level of mental health
disorders, including the level of stress, anxiety, depression to see the accuracy of journaling
therapy whether there is an effect or a significant change in reducing the level of mental
health symptoms experienced by individuals entering early adulthood.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This study was conducted on 15 students aged 20-30 who have entered early adulthood
from 5 different universities. After a questionnaire test using the DASS instrument to determine
the level of symptoms of mental disorders including stress, anxiety, and depression with
benchmarks or scores: normal, average, modest, severe, and very severe with the interpretation
of happy life, healthy, need management, see a counselor, and see a counselor and refer to a
psychiatrist if necessary, then it was found that 2 students were known to have high symptoms
of depression with a score of 8-10 which was included in the interpretation of need management
and found 1 student who had the highest score among the others, namely 11-14 which was
included in the interpretation of seeing a counselor. So the 3 students were chosen to do
emotional catharsis by being given journaling therapy and then retested the level of symptoms
of mental disorders, then know the results are as follows:
1. respondents are in early adulthood, namely 3 students consisting of 1 woman and 2 men.
2. respondents come from 3 different campuses so they don't know each other it is hoped that
the process of emotional catharsis through journaling techniques is more in line with its
objectives.
3. of the 3 respondents when given a mental disorder symptom test using the DASS instrument
to measure their anxiety level, stress level, and depression level.
4. after knowing the level of mental disorders experienced by each respondent, the journaling
technique is carried out as a medium for emotional catharsis.
Vol 2, No 9 September 2023
Emotional Catharsis To Overcome Depression In Mental Illness
Symptoms With The Mediator Of Therapeutic Journaling In
Early Adulthood
https://joss.al-makkipublisher.com/index.php/js
5. the process of emotional catharsis with this journaling technique was carried out for 11
consecutive days
6. after 11 consecutive days, all respondents were retested for symptoms of mental disorders
through the DASS instrument.
7. from the results of the DASS instrument retest, the symptoms of mental health disorders
produce a significant level of decline with a score of 6-7 which is included in the healthy
interpretation.
8. when given a container in emotional catharsis through journaling techniques, each
respondent feels that there is a good channeling of emotions or anger.
9. with the journaling technique, respondents feel that they can control their emotions well
10. with emotional catharsis through journaling techniques each respondent feels better, feels
more at ease, feels more relieved because they can convey their uncork-under
11. respondents feel more comfortable doing emotional catharsis through journaling
techniques
12. it is proven that emotional catharsis with journaling techniques can reduce symptoms of
mental health disorders well journaling techniques are a good and appropriate emotional
catharsis medium to do in reducing symptoms of mental disorders.
CONCLUSION
The conclusion of this discussion is the process of implementing the catharsis method to
reduce mental health disorders in a person in early adulthood (age 20-30 years) as follows:
After being able to release negative emotions through emotional catharsis channeled through
journaling techniques, all respondents were able to express their emotions in the journaling
media, the respondents felt more directed to channel their emotions through emotional catharsis
techniques through journaling techniques after doing emotional catharsis through journaling
techniques, each respondent felt better because there was a directed channeling of their
emotions and finally felt better, journaling techniques are the right emotional catharsis media
in reducing or relieving symptoms of mental disorders, including depression.
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Journaling In Early Adulthood
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Copyright holders:
Rindang Wahjuningtijas (2023)
First publication right:
JoSS - Journal of Social Science
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
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