Empirical foundations for writing in prevention and psychotherapy: Mental and physical health outcomes

The use of writing, alone or in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy, has increased substantially in recent years. The most widespread use of writing has been for single-shot ad hoc purposes or to log behavior. The purpose of this review is to summarize a decade of research demonstrating the e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical psychology review 1999, Vol.19 (1), p.79-96
Main Authors: Esterling, Brian A, L’Abate, Luciano, Murray, Edward J, Pennebaker, James W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis
Anxiety Disorders - psychology
Anxiety Disorders - therapy
Clinical Trials as Topic
Cognition
Communication
Depressive Disorder - diagnosis
Depressive Disorder - psychology
Depressive Disorder - therapy
Emotions
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Health Status
Humans
Immunity
Interpersonal Relations
Language
Male
Mental Disorders - diagnosis
Mental Disorders - psychology
Mental Disorders - therapy
Mental Health
MMPI
Models, Psychological
Personality Inventory
Psychotherapy - methods
Treatment Outcome
Writing
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Summary:The use of writing, alone or in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy, has increased substantially in recent years. The most widespread use of writing has been for single-shot ad hoc purposes or to log behavior. The purpose of this review is to summarize a decade of research demonstrating the efficacy of writing about past traumatic experiences on mental and physical health outcomes. It is widely acknowledged in our culture that putting upsetting experiences into words can be healthy. Research from several domains indicates that talking with friends, confiding to a therapist, praying, and even writing about one’s thoughts and feelings can be physically and mentally beneficial. This review highlights advances in written disclosure that determine some therapeutic outcomes. In addition, we attempt to explore the mechanisms that predict improved psychological and physical health. Finally, limitations of previous studies are highlighted, and suggestions for future research and application are made.
ISSN:0272-7358
1873-7811
DOI:10.1016/S0272-7358(98)00015-4