Writing & Mental Health
Therapeutic Value of Expressive Writing for Mental Health Based on Scientific Studies
Writing can calm the amygdala, melt chronic stress, and relieve disease symptoms.
Introduction
Words have healing power for not only their creators but also readers. Writing and reading have a grounding effect on the whole brain by calming the amygdala (alert system) and strengthening the cortex (executive system).
As a physical activity, writing is not only a mental activity, but it also has spiritual associations due to its ability to connect our thoughts and emotions to others. Therefore, I characterized writing as a beyond-identity connection which is the highest level in my life perspectives.
Expressive writing is a therapeutic mindfulness practice. Expressive writing, particularly in raw form, can have exceptional value by allowing the writers to express their thoughts, sensations, and emotions without restrictions. I penned several articles about the therapeutic value of writing.
Even though I perform my professional writing via electronic devices, I particularly find handwriting more valuable for expressing my deep feelings. For example, using two hands interchangeably helped me explore issues buried in my psyche.
During this creative process, I ask questions with my right hand and reply by writing with my left hand. This dexterous technique produced insights beyond my beliefs as it activates both sides of the brain, both emotional and logical.
This post is not just a theoretical piece, even though the underlying theories shed light on the topic. As a practitioner for over three decades, I experienced the value of writing in my mental health journey through my bullet proof life hacks. Furthermore, I closely observed several health benefits of expressive writing in many people in my circles including centenarians, entrepreneurs, and academics.
Even though we have significant anecdotal shreds of evidence on the therapeutic effects of expressive writing, I aim to provide insights from ongoing research in psychology, psychiatry, cognitive science, and neuroscience studies by highlighting a few prominent scientific papers from credible sources.
The standard definition of expressive writing in theoretical studies and clinical research settings is self-reflection of difficult experiences in writing by the patients.
Since animals cannot write, all studies in the review include only humans.
What Science Says About Expressive Writing
When I was studying cognitive science, I reviewed numerous scientific papers that attempted to disentangle the explanations for the connection between expressive writing and mental health. Unfortunately, those papers I checked in the 90s are not available online. However, there are many newer studies recorded in the medical literature. I’d like to share a few prominent ones.
As pointed out in this paper in 2014, “decades of research have suggested that expressive writing produces physical and psychological benefits in controlled laboratory experiments among healthy college students. Moreover, this work has been extended to clinical and medical populations, including cancer patients.” As mentioned in the paper, “there were several main effects for expressive writing on sleep, pain, and general physical and psychological symptoms.”
This 2020 study included 57 university students. They were randomly assigned to one of two groups. They completed expressive writing or neutral writing tasks. The study recorded electrodermal activity and electrocardiography measures. The results were published in a paper titled Real-Time Psychophysiological and Writing Correlates of Expressive Writing. Researchers interpreted findings as “signs of emotion regulation happening during writing.”
This pilot study in 2019, published in a paper titled Emotional reactivity to grief-related expressive writing, compared the effects of a brief positive expressive writing intervention for enhancing positive effects among bereaved adults. The conclusion was “greater positive emotion word use mediated positive effect among those in the positive writing condition.”
This psychiatric case study in 2019 has formulated expressive writing from literature studies and implemented it in patients in three cases representing a diagnosis for the psychotic and non-psychotic spectrum. The first case was a male with suicidal depression, the second was a woman with suicidal depression, and the third was a schizophrenic woman elderly with auditory hallucinations. The conclusion was that “over six months of implementation, expressive writing shows desirable results, yet some side effects in patients still need to be aware of.”
As this recent paper of meta-analysis informs, “expressive writing is a common psychological intervention that aims to improve the mental health of traumatized individuals.” The meta-analysis included five databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and PsycINFO 2019. The review included 929 participants from 8 randomized controlled trial studies. A pooled analysis demonstrated that “expressive writing was an efficient therapy for decreasing PTSD.”
However, to gain conclusive results, the meta-analysis concludes that “adding the number of sessions of expressive intervention to increase the effectiveness, the detailed intervention setup including frequency, duration, spacing still needs further investigation, and larger sample trials are required in the future.”
The introduction of this paper points out that “trauma is highly prevalent, with estimates that up to 90% of the U.S. population have been exposed to a traumatic event. The adverse health consequences of trauma exposure are diverse and often long-lasting. While expressive writing has been shown to improve emotional and physical health in numerous populations, the feasibility and potential effectiveness of a novel expressive writing program provided in a clinical setting to improve resilience are unknown.”
This clinical feasibility study assessing expressive writing to improve resilience to trauma concluded that “the Transform Your Life: Write to Heal program is feasible to offer in a clinical setting, was well-received by participants, and demonstrated preliminary findings of effectiveness.”
The study suggests that “this novel 6-week writing intervention including expressive, transactional, poetic, affirmative, legacy, and mindful writing prompts increases resilience, and decreases depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and rumination in an outpatient sample of those reporting trauma in the past year.”
This 2020 study used “grounded theory methods to analyze sexual minority adults’ interviews about their experience of engaging in various formats of expressive writing exercises about personal heterosexist events. Participants described both what they found helpful and frustrating about the writing process and reflected on how their perspectives shifted throughout the process.” The findings of this research contributed to the body of knowledge on “how change occurs in expressive writing and provide guidance on how to assist sexual minority adults in healing from heterosexism in their lives.”
In addition to mental health, expressive writing is also studied for physical illnesses like cancer. For example, This 2019 study designed for newly diagnosed mainland Chinese breast cancer patients examined the benefits of expressive writing. Researchers confirmed that “these patients benefited more from cancer-facts and emotional disclosure compared to self-regulation.”
The paper pointed out that “the impact of expressive writing may differ due to stage of cancer survivorship, social, and cultural context.”
I came across many more studies examining the efficacy of expressive writing for cancer. Unfortunately, it is not possible to include them in this article. However, I’d like to introduce this meta-analysis published on the Oncology Nursing Forum, including 14 papers with 13 randomized trials and one nonrandomized trial, including 1,718 cancer patients.
The study informed that “expressive writing had significant small effects only on cancer symptoms. The findings suggest that the traditional expressive writing intervention protocol may need to be intensified to confirm its effect on patients with cancer.”
In addition to adults, some studies also researched the effectiveness of expressive writing for adolescents between the age of 10 and 18. For example, this 2015 meta-analysis highlighted the importance of modifying the traditional expressive writing protocol to enhance its efficacy and reduce potential detrimental effects. The researchers concluded that “the evidence on expressive writing as a viable intervention for adolescents is promising but not decisive.”
I’d like to conclude my condensed review with a summary of health, social, and behavioral outcomes included in a paper by Karen A. Baikie and Kay Wilhelm titled Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing published by Cambridge University Press in 2018.
“Health outcomes of expressive writing
• Fewer stress-related visits to the doctor
• Improved immune system functioning
• Reduced blood pressure
• Improved lung function
• Improved liver function
• Fewer days in the hospital
• Improved mood/affect
• A feeling of greater psychological well-being
• Reduced depressive symptoms before examinations
• Fewer post-traumatic intrusion and avoidance symptoms
Social and behavioral outcomes of expressive writing
• Reduced absenteeism from work
• Quicker re-employment after job loss
• Improved working memory
• Improved sporting performance
• Higher students’ grade point average
• Altered social and linguistic behavior”
Conclusions and Takeaways
While writing practice presents many business benefits to professional writers and content development entrepreneurs, it also offers therapeutic and health benefits to anyone who can write, not necessarily professionals.
Expressive and mindful writing is a unique form of writing used in mental health therapies covering several conditions such as depression, anxiety, fear, irritability, dissatisfaction, and post-traumatic situations. It is also used as a supplementary therapy for chronic biological illnesses such as cancer.
Many theoretical, experimental, and clinical studies research the effect of expressive writing. Unfortunately, we still don’t have conclusive results. However, we might discover more by examining the pathways writing effects in the brain with this awareness.
Expressing our thoughts and emotions verbally and in writing is a proven therapeutic technique anyone can safely try as a self-improvement practice. However, it is always essential to undertake this practice with guidance from qualified therapists for severe mental health conditions, like any other supplemental activity.
As words have healing power for creators and readers, writing and reading can be excellent tools in our mental health toolbox. Having a mental health first aid kit is not a luxury anymore, especially in these challenging times.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a mindful and joyful life.
Please note that this story is not health advice. I shared my research, experience and perspectives for information purposes only, If you have associated conditions, please consult your healthcare professionals.
Sample Mental Health Stories
Awareness of Punishment Pathways in the Brain for Mental Health
Emotional Stress As Larger Part Of The Iceberg In Energy Deficiency
How Not to Be Cracked by Toxic Emotions and Chronic Stress at Work
The Role of Sex & Emotional Intimacy In Reducing Chronic Stress
Unbearable Feeling of Anhedonia: How Can We Enjoy Life Again?
If you are a new reader and find this article valuable, you might check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of sensible experiments.
Sample Health Improvement Articles for New Readers
I write about various hormones and neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, GABA, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, glutamate, and histamine.
One of my goals as a writer is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population.
To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences. Below are links to these articles for easy access.
Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, cardiac output, and major disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Cod Liver Oil, and other nutrients to improve metabolism and mental health.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives only to provide information and create awareness.
I publish my lifestyle, health, and well-being stories on EUPHORIA. My focus is on metabolic, cellular, mitochondrial, and mental health. Here is my collection of Insightful Life Lessons from Personal Stories.
If you enjoy writing and storytelling, you can join Medium, NewsBreak, and Vocal as a creator to find your voice, reach out to a broad audience, and monetize your content.
You may also check my blog posts about my articles and other writers’ articles contributing to my Medium publications. I share them on my website, digitalmehmet.com. Here is my professional bio. You can contact me via weblink.
As a writer, blogger, content developer, and reader, you might join Medium, Vocal Media, NewsBreak, Medium Writing Superstars, Writing Paychecks, WordPress, and Thinkers360 with my referral links. These affiliate links will not cost you extra to join the services.
You might join my six publications on Medium as a writer by sending a request via this link. 19K+ writers contribute to my publications. You might find more information about my professional background.
If you enjoy reading, you may join Medium with my referral link for limitless access to my stories and other writers.
