Studies // Cited work
A meta-analysis of expressive writing on posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and quality of life
Pavlacic, J. M., Buchanan, E. M., Maxwell, N. P., Hopke, T. G., & Schulenberg, S. E. (2019). A meta-analysis of expressive writing on posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth, and quality of life.
Level D Meta-analysis doi:10.1177/1089268019831645
What this study supports
Supports the claim that change within writing conditions was small for posttraumatic stress and negligible to small for growth and quality of life, and larger in studies requiring a PTSD diagnosis. Pools only the experimental arms, without control comparisons, so it is graded D and cannot separate writing effects from natural change.
- Who was studied
- Experimental conditions of expressive writing studies measuring posttraumatic stress, posttraumatic growth and quality of life.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Level of evidence
- Cross-sectional, observational, qualitative work and narrative reviews.
Claims that rest on it
Each claim states what the site asserts, at what strength, and with what caveat.
A meta-analysis of change within expressive writing conditions found small effects on posttraumatic stress and negligible to small effects on growth and quality of life; without control comparisons it cannot show that writing treats posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Scope
- Experimental arms of studies measuring posttraumatic stress, growth and quality of life.
- Caveat
- Change within one arm includes natural recovery and regression to the mean.
Last reviewed · Review due · expressive-writing-ptsd-evidence-uncontrolled