Author(s): Christine Joy P. Sarad

Abstract: Midwifery students frequently encounter emotionally demanding clinical experiences that may lead to stress, fear, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. While various interventions have been used to promote emotional resilience, limited studies have explored the use of catharsis-laden English literary texts as a reflective educational tool. This study determined the effect of reading catharsis-laden English literary texts on the emotional awareness and emotional resilience of BSM 2 – St. Anne midwifery students. The study employed a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design involving thirty-nine (39) students from Fatima School of Science and Technology, Inc. A validated and pilot-tested researcher-made questionnaire with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.9494 was utilized to assess emotional awareness and emotional resilience before and after the intervention. The intervention consisted of reading selected literary texts and completing reflective literary response activities. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and paired sample t-test, while qualitative responses were examined through thematic analysis. Findings revealed a significant increase in empathic concern (M = 4.18 to 4.34, p = 0.01) and emotional resilience (M = 4.09 to 4.26, p = 0.02) following exposure to the literary texts. However, fear and anxiety showed no significant differences. Qualitative results indicated that literary engagement promoted emotional release, self-awareness, empathy, reflection, and adaptive coping among the participants. The study concludes that catharsis-laden English literary texts can serve as an effective reflective intervention for enhancing emotional resilience among midwifery students. The findings support the integration of literature-based reflective practices into healthcare and midwifery education as a cost-effective and innovative strategy for fostering emotional well-being and adaptive coping skills among future healthcare professionals.

Keywords: Catharsis-laden English literary texts, emotional awareness, emotional resilience, empathic concern, midwifery education, reflective learning

Article Info: Received: 04 May 2026; Received in revised form: 28 May 2026; Accepted: 02 Jun 2026; Available online: 05 Jun 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.113.51