Seeing the glass half full: optimistic expressive writing improves mental health among chronically stressed caregivers.
OBJECTIVE
This study explored treatment mediators among caregivers of older adults who did not benefit from expressive writing in a recently published randomized clinical trial.


METHODS
Twenty-seven expressive writing and time management participants completed questionnaires prior to writing, following their fourth writing session, and 1 month later. We examined the effect of group differences in linguistic markers on health improvements.


CONCLUSIONS
Our hypothesis concerning narrative development received no support, and expected links between function words and health were partially confirmed. Results most strongly supported the hypothesis that expressive writing benefited caregivers who used increasingly positive, optimistic, and future-focused language.
Mackenzie
Corey S
CS
Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada. corey_mackenzie@umanitoba.ca
Wiprzycka
Ursula J
UJ
Hasher
Lynn
L
Goldstein
David
D
D000339:Affect; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D017281:Cost of Illness; D019260:Expressed Emotion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014956:Writing