Written emotional expression: Effect sizes, outcome types and moderating variables

A research synthesis was conducted to examine the relationship between a written emotional expression task and subsequent health. This writing task was found to lend to significantly improved health outcomes in healthy participants. Health was enhanced in 4 outcome types-reported physical health, psychological well-being, physiological functioning, and general functioning - but health behaviors were not influenced. Writing also increased immediate (pre-to postwriting) distress, which was unrelated to health outcomes. The relation between written emotional expression and health was moderated by a number of variables. including the use of college students as participants, Sender,duration of the manipulation, publication status of the study, and specific writing content instructions.