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Putting Stress into Words: The Impact of Writing on Physiological, Absentee, and Self-Reported Emotional Well-Being Measures

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American Journal of Health Promotion
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Martha E. Francis
Martha E. Francis
Martha E. Francis
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James W. Pennebaker at University of Texas at Austin
James W. Pennebaker
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Abstract

Background and Purpose Inhibiting or holding back one's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors is associated with long-term stress and disease. Actively confronting upsetting experiences can reduce the negative effects of inhibition. The present study describes a unique approach to aid individuals in dealing with psychological and emotional issues that they must often face. Methods Forty-one of the 81 university employees who were participating in a wellness program agreed to participate in the present study. Subjects were randomly assigned to write about either personal traumatic experiences (n = 23) or non-traumatic topics (n = 18) for 20 minutes once a week for four consecutive weeks. Results Results indicate that individuals who wrote about upsetting personal experiences evidenced significant drops in selected blood measures compared to those who wrote about non-traumatic topics (e.g., for SGOT: 4.0% drop among traumatic topic group versus 13.1% increase among non-traumatic topic group, ANOVA p = .029; for SGPT: 24.5% drop versus 7.7% increase, p =. 001). During the month of writing, traumatic topic group subjects evidenced a 28.6% reduction in absentee rates from work relative to the eight months before the experiment compared with a 48.5% increase in absentee rates among non-traumatic topic subjects (p =. 04). Subjects low in emotional inhibition evidenced the greatest reductions in absentee rates following personal disclosure compared to those high in emotional inhibition (p = .011). Discussion The proposed writing strategy offers a unique tool for health promotion practitioners. Individuals encouraged to let themselves go and confront traumatic experiences in their lives can potentially enhance their own health.
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Stress Management Putting Stress into Words:
The Impact of Writing on
Physiological, Absentee, and
Self-Reported Emotional
Well-Being Measures
Martha E. Francis
James W. Pennebaker
Abstract
Background and Purpose. Inhibiting or holding back one’s thoughts, feelings, or be-
haviors is associated with long-term stress and disease. Actively confronting upsetting ex-
periences can reduce the negative effects of inhibition. The present study describes a unique
approach to aid individuals in dealing with psychological and emotional issues that they
must often face.
Methods. Forty-one of the 81 university employees who were participating in a wellness
program agreed to participate in the present study. Subjects were randomly assigned to write
about either personal traumatic experiences (n = 23) or non-traumatic topics (n = 18)for
minutes once a week for four consecutive weeks.
Results. Results indicate that individuals who wrote about upsetting personal experiences
evidenced significant drops in selected blood measures compared to those who wrote about
non-traumatic topics (e.g., for SGOT: 4.0% drop among traumatic topic group versus
13.1% increase among non-traumatic topic group, ANO VA p =. 029, for SGPT: 24.5 %
drop versus 7. 7% increase, p =. 001). During the month of writing, traumatic topic group
subjects evidenced a 28.6% reduction in absentee rates from work relative to the eight
months before the experiment compared with a 48. 5 % increase in absentee rates among non-
traumatic topic subjects (p =. 04). Subjects low in emotional inhibition evidenced the greatest
reductions in absentee rates following personal disclosure compared to those high in emotional
inhibition (p =. 011).
Discussion. The proposed writing strategy offers a unique tool for health promotion
practitioners. Individuals encouraged to let themselves go and confront traumatic experiences
in their lives can potentially enhance their own health. (Am J Health Promot, 1992,"
6(4):280-287)
Key Words: Trauma, Disclosure, Psychotherapy, Health
Martha E. Francis, M.A., is a Research Associate in the Department of Psychology,
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. James W. Pennebaker, Ph.D., is a Profes-
sor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas,
Texas.
Research presented in this article was made possible by Grants BNS-9021518 and BNS-9001615 from the National Science
Foundation. This manuscript was submitted on May 17, 1991, revz?ed, and accepted for publication on November 2, 1991.
INTRODUCTION
Researchers in psychosomatic
medicine and health psychology have
long acknowledged the link between
inhibition and health. Inhibition oc-
curs when individuals must actively
and/or consciously hold back particu-
lar behaviors, thoughts, or feelings.
There is growing evidence that the
act of inhibition is associated with
physiological work. Over time the
work of inhibition serves as a cu-
mulative stressor, thereby increasing
the probability of a variety of psy-
chosomatic diseases, l Some studies
have found that individuals high in
emotional inhibition are more prone
to early deaths due to cancer, ~ other
problems such as asthma, ~ various
indicants of immune dysfunction,
4-6
and heart disease.
7
In view of the impact that inhibi-
tion can have on health, how in-
dividuals choose to cope with major
life events may have as much impact
on their well-being as the personal
upheaval itself. For example, some
personal traumas are easier to dis-
cuss openly than others. Experiences,
such as death of a spouse, are con-
sidered "socially acceptable." In
such cases, the deleterious effects of
major life events can be buffered by
strong social support networks?
There are other events which take
place in individuals’ lives which are
less acceptable. One of the most dra-
280 American Journal of Health Promotion
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