Keywords
instructions of writing
physical Health and psychological well-being
How to Cite
Abstract
The present article is inserted into the studies on the effectiveness of the emotional disclosure of traumas and highly stressful events. Specifically, It is studied the role of writing on a same trauma or different traumas, on mental and physical health. 37 women students of psychology they were assigned to three experimental conditions: to write three consecutive days on a same trauma, to write about different traumas, and to write on trivial affaires. As dependent variables, the positive and negative affect, the level of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, the level of depression and the level of health (self-reported), were assessed. Measurements were carried out session by session, and two months later. The results indicated that the negative affect diminished and the positive affect was increased, session by session. Two months later, a significant diminution of both symptoms of post-traumatic stress and symptoms of physical health for the group that wrote on the same trauma, in comparison with the other two groups, was observed. The depression level also diminished, both for the group that wrote on the same trauma, and for that wrote on different traumas. Although the model of the cognitive exposure has got a greater support, the results are discussed according to the need for a new and more extended explanatory model.
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