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 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.
Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124.
B A
BA
Esterling
M H
MH
Antoni
M A
MA
Fletcher
S
S
Margulies
N
N
Schneiderman
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D013060:Speech; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D014956:Writing
D000914:Antibodies, Viral