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Does Self-Affirmation, Cognitive Processing, or Discovery of Meaning Explain Cancer-Related Health Benefits of Expressive Writing?

University of California, Los Angeles, creswell{at}ucla.edu

Suman Lam

University of California, Los Angeles

Annette L. Stanton

University of California, Los Angeles

Shelley E. Taylor

University of California, Los Angeles

Julienne E. Bower

University of California, Los Angeles

David K. Sherman

University of California, Santa Barbara

Although expressive writing has positive effects on health, little is known about the underlying psychological mechanisms for these effects. The present study assessed self-affirmation, cognitive processing, and discovery of meaning as potential mediators of the effects of expressive writing on physical health in early-stage breast cancer survivors. A content analysis of the essays showed that self-affirmation writing was associated with fewer physical symptoms at a 3-month follow-up assessment, with self-affirmation writing fully mediating the effects of the emotional expression and benefit-finding writing conditions on reduced physical symptoms. Cognitive processing and discovery of meaning writing were not associated with any physical health outcomes. Consistent with evidence showing that self-affirmation plays an important role in buffering stress, the present study provides the first evidence for self-affirmation as a viable mechanism underlying the health benefits of expressive writing.

Key Words: self-affirmation • cancer • cognitive processing • discovery of meaning • expressive writing

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