Abstract

PENATE, Wenceslao; PINO-SEDENO, Tasmania del  and  BETHENCOURT, Juan Manuel. The differential effect of writing about a same trauma or about different traumas on both the psychological well-being and the self-reported health state. Univ. Psychol. [online]. 2009, vol.9, n.2, pp. 433-445. ISSN 1657-9267.

The present article is inserted into the studies on the effectiveness of the emotional disclosure of traumatic events. 39 women students were assigned to three experimental conditions: to write 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, were assessed. 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 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.

Keywords : Emotional disclosure; Instructions of writing; Physical health and psychological well-being; Adjustment (psychology); Attitude to health; Depression; Mental.

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