Emotional Disclosure Through Writing or Speaking Modulates Latent Epstein-Barr Virus Antibody Titers

Healthy Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seropositive undergraduates ( N = 57) completed a personality inventory, provided blood samples, and were randomly assigned to write or talk about stressful events, or to write about trivial events, during three weekly 20-min sessions, after which they provided a fin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of consulting and clinical psychology 1994-02, Vol.62 (1), p.130-140
Main Authors: Esterling, Brian A, Antoni, Michael H, Fletcher, Mary Ann, Margulies, Scott, Schneiderman, Neil
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Adult
Affect
Antibodies
Antibodies, Viral - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Blood
Coping
Disclosure
Diseases
Epstein Barr Viral Disorder
Epstein Barr Virus
Female
Herpes viruses
Herpesvirus 4, Human - immunology
Higher Education
Human
Humans
Immunity (Disease)
Life Change Events
Male
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Oral Communication
Patients
Personality Inventory
Personality Traits
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychotherapies. Psychological and clinical counseling
Self Concept
Speech
Stress
Stress Variables
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Stressful events
Therapy
Treatments
Undergraduate Students
Writing
Written Communication
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Description
Summary:Healthy Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seropositive undergraduates ( N = 57) completed a personality inventory, provided blood samples, and were randomly assigned to write or talk about stressful events, or to write about trivial events, during three weekly 20-min sessions, after which they provided a final blood sample. Individuals assigned to the verbal/stressful condition had significantly lower EBV antibody titers (suggesting better cellular immune control over the latent virus) after the intervention than those in the written/stressful group, who had significantly lower values than those in the written/trivial control group. Subjects assigned to the written/stressful condition expressed more negative emotional words than the verbal/stressful and control groups and more positive emotional words than the verbal/stressful group at each time point. The verbal/stressful group expressed more negative emotional words compared with the control group at baseline. Content analysis indicated that the verbal/stressful group achieved the greatest improvements in cognitive change, self-esteem, and adaptive coping strategies.
ISSN:0022-006X
1939-2117
DOI:10.1037/0022-006X.62.1.130