Emotional expression and physical health: revising traumatic memories or fostering self-regulation?
Health benefits derived from personal trauma disclosure are well established. This study examined whether disclosing emotions generated by imaginative immersion in a novel traumatic event would similarly enhance health and adjustment. College women, preselected for trauma presence, were randomly assigned to write about real traumas, imaginary traumas, or trivial events. Yoked real-trauma and imaginary-trauma participants wrote about real-trauma participants' experiences. Imaginary-trauma participants were significantly less depressed than real-trauma participants at immediate posttest, but they were similarly angry, fearful, and happy. Compared with control group participants, both trauma groups made significantly fewer illness visits at 1-month follow-up; however, real-trauma participants reported more fatigue and avoidance than did the other groups. Imaginary-trauma group effects could reflect catharsis, emotional regulation, or construction of resilient possible selves.
Greenberg
M A
MA
Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA. mgreenberg@mail.cspp.edu
Wortman
C B
CB
Stone
A A
AA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002399:Catharsis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008016:Life Change Events; D011939:Mental Recall; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D014956:Writing