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Written emotional disclosure: a controlled study of the benefits of expressive writing homework in outpatient psychotherapy
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Written emotional disclosure: a controlled study of the benefits of expressive writing homework in outpatient psychotherapy

Maria C Graf, Brandon A Gaudiano and Pamela A Geller
Psychotherapy research, v 18(4), pp 389-399
Jul 2008
PMID: 18815991

Abstract

Adult Ambulatory Care Anxiety Disorders - psychology Anxiety Disorders - therapy Cognitive Therapy - methods Depression - psychology Depression - therapy Female Humans Male Narration Psychotherapy - methods Truth Disclosure Verbal Behavior
The current study investigated the extent to which outpatient psychotherapy clients benefited from Pennebaker's expressive writing protocol (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986) adapted for use as a homework intervention. Participants were randomly assigned to written emotional disclosure or writing control conditions. Pre- and postintervention outcome measures were collected for three consecutive therapy sessions. Clients in the written emotional disclosure group showed significantly greater reductions in anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as greater overall progress in psychotherapy in comparison to the writing control group. Results suggest that emotional disclosure writing homework, in conjunction with outpatient psychotherapy, facilitates therapeutic process and outcome.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Psychology, Clinical
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