title: Processing coping methods in expressive essays about stressful experiences: Predictors of health benefit.
abstract: This study distinguished constructive (e.g. planning/problem-solving) and unconstructive (e.g. worry) processing in expressive essays and their impact on depressive symptoms, healthcare visits, and physical symptoms. Affect labeling, achievement orientation, and insight utilization were examined as mediators. Essays from 43 medical students were coded; mediators were identified through linguistic text analysis. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 3 months. Constructive processing predicted declining depressive symptoms (β = -.33, p < .05) and healthcare visits (β = -.61, p < .01). Unconstructive processing predicted increasing healthcare visits (β = .42, p < .05). Higher affect labeling mediated the effect of constructive processing, and lower achievement orientation mediated the effect of unconstructive processing.
authors.affiliation: Hunter College, City University of New York, USA michael.hoyt@hunter.cuny.edu.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hoyt
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Austenfeld
authors.affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: Annette L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Stanton
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009819:Office Visits; D011340:Problem Solving; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D014956:Writing; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: achievement; affect labeling; coping; emotion regulation; emotional processing; expressive writing; repetitive thought