Expressive Writing and Journaling: What Research Says

The short answer

Research on expressive writing, where people write about thoughts and feelings for 15 to 20 minutes over a few days, finds small average benefits. A meta-analysis of 146 randomized studies found an average effect of r = .075. Results vary widely, writing often feels worse at first, and it did not reliably reduce depressive symptoms.

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Key takeaways

Most evidence comes from short lab tasks: 15 to 20 minutes of writing on three to five days.
A meta-analysis of 146 randomized studies found a small average effect (r = .075).
Writing about emotions often raises distress right after writing.
A meta-analysis of 39 trials found no significant long-term effect on depressive symptoms.
Everyday journaling has been studied far less than these lab tasks.

An open notebook and a blue pen on a wooden table by a window with tea and wildflowers

What does research say about expressive writing and journaling?

Research finds that expressive writing has small average benefits, with wide variation between people and studies. It is not a reliable treatment for depression, and it often feels harder before it feels easier. Everyday journaling, the kind most people do, has been studied much less than the lab version.

Much of what you read about the "benefits of journaling" traces back to one research tradition started by psychologist James Pennebaker in the 1980s. This summary explains what those studies actually tested and how the findings have held up.

What was studied?

The standard expressive writing task is narrow. Participants write about their deepest thoughts and feelings on an emotional topic for about 15 to 20 minutes, on three to five consecutive days, without worrying about spelling or grammar. A comparison group writes about neutral topics, such as how they spend their time (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005).

Study	Who	Design	Main outcome
Pennebaker & Beall, 1986	46 healthy undergraduates	Wrote about a trauma or a trivial topic, 15 minutes a day for 4 days	Health center visits, mood, blood pressure
Smyth, 1998	Studies of mostly healthy participants	Early meta-analysis	Reported health, well-being, physiology, functioning
Frattaroli, 2006	146 randomized studies	Random-effects meta-analysis	Many psychological, health and functioning outcomes
Reinhold, Bürkner & Holling, 2018	39 randomized trials, 64 comparisons	Meta-analysis in physically healthy adults under stress	Depressive symptoms
Burton & King, 2004	90 undergraduates	Wrote about intensely positive experiences or a control topic, 20 minutes for 3 days	Mood and health center visits

What did it find?

The original study

In the first well-known study, students who wrote about both the facts and their feelings about a traumatic event had higher blood pressure and more negative mood right after writing. Over the following months, they visited the student health center less than students who wrote about trivial topics (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986). The sample was small and made up of college students.

Early meta-analysis: promising

An early research synthesis concluded that the writing task improved several kinds of outcomes in healthy participants, including reported physical health and psychological well-being, but not health behaviors. It also found that writing increased distress immediately afterward (Smyth, 1998). Results depended on factors such as whether participants were college students, the length of the task and the writing instructions.

Larger meta-analysis: small

When Frattaroli pooled 146 randomized studies with more conservative methods, the average effect was positive and statistically significant but small, r = .075 (Frattaroli, 2006). For comparison, that is well below what researchers usually call a "small" correlation of .10. Several features of the studies, such as the number and length of sessions, changed the size of the effect.

Depression: no reliable effect

A meta-analysis of 39 randomized trials in physically healthy adults with varying stress levels found no significant long-term effect of expressive writing on depressive symptoms. Effects were larger with more sessions and more specific writing topics (Reinhold, Bürkner & Holling, 2018). The authors concluded that brief, self-directed expressive writing was not supported as a way to reduce depressive symptoms.

Positive topics can work too

Writing does not have to be about painful events. In one study, students who wrote about intensely positive experiences for 20 minutes on three days reported better mood right after writing and had fewer health center visits for illness over the next three months than a control group (Burton & King, 2004).

Why the findings vary so much

The studies differ in who took part, what they wrote about, how many sessions they did and what outcomes were measured. Some measured doctor visits, others mood questionnaires, others immune markers or grades. With that much variety, a small average can hide real benefits for some groups and none for others. Researchers have looked for the ingredients that matter, such as the number of sessions and how specific the topic is, but no single recipe works reliably for everyone.

What does the research not show?

It does not show that daily journaling works the same way. Most studies used three to five short sessions on assigned topics, not an open-ended daily habit over months.
It does not promise mental-health benefits for any individual. The average effect is small, and some people show no benefit.
It does not replace treatment. The review by Baikie and Wilhelm states that expressive writing should not replace appropriate medical or psychological care.
It does not mean painful writing is required. The positive-experience study suggests other topics can be useful, and short-term distress is common with emotional topics.
Many studies used college students. Results varied across populations, so findings may not apply evenly to everyone.

What are the practical takeaways?

Treat journaling as a helpful routine, not a treatment. Small average effects mean it is worth trying if you enjoy it, not something to expect big changes from.
You choose the topic. Ordinary days, plans, positive moments and lists are all valid. Emotional writing is optional. The guide on what to write in a journal has low-pressure formats.
Expect some discomfort if you write about hard things, and stop or switch topics if it feels like too much.
Keep it short and repeatable. A few minutes after a daily cue is easier to maintain than long sessions. See the beginner journaling guide or try a gratitude format with how to start a gratitude journal.
Get support when you need it. If you are going through a hard time, journaling is not a substitute for support. Talk to a doctor, a counselor or another mental health professional, and in a crisis in the US you can call or text 988.

The 30-day journaling plan starts with one sentence a day and keeps deeper topics optional. You can build a journaling plan around your schedule and find more on the journaling topic hub.

Frequently asked questions

What is expressive writing?

Expressive writing is a research task where people write about their deepest thoughts and feelings on an emotional topic, usually for 15 to 20 minutes on three to five days in a row. They write without worrying about grammar or spelling. It was developed by James Pennebaker in the 1980s.

Is journaling scientifically proven to help mental health?

No. Studies of expressive writing show small average benefits that vary a lot between people, and a meta-analysis found no reliable long-term effect on depressive symptoms. Journaling can be a useful routine, but it is not a proven mental-health treatment. If you are struggling, talk to a doctor or mental health professional.

Why does expressive writing sometimes feel worse at first?

Writing about emotional topics brings those feelings to the surface, and studies consistently find short-term increases in distress right after writing. In the research, this was usually temporary. If it does not pass, stop and consider talking to a professional.

How is expressive writing different from a daily journal?

Expressive writing is a short, structured task on an emotional topic over a few days. A daily journal is open-ended, ongoing and can cover anything. Most research tested the first, so its findings apply only loosely to the second.

Do I have to write about painful things for journaling to be useful?

No. One study found benefits from writing about intensely positive experiences, and many useful journal formats are neutral, like lists and plans. Choose topics that feel manageable to you.

Sources and evidence

Pennebaker & Beall (1986): Confronting a traumatic event, toward an understanding of inhibition and disease — 46 undergraduates wrote about trauma or trivial topics for 15 minutes on 4 days; trauma writing about facts and feelings raised blood pressure and negative mood immediately but was followed by fewer health center visits.
Smyth (1998): Written emotional expression, effect sizes, outcome types, and moderating variables — Early meta-analysis: writing improved reported health, well-being, physiological and general functioning in healthy participants but not health behaviors, and increased immediate distress.
Frattaroli (2006): Experimental disclosure and its moderators, a meta-analysis — Across 146 randomized studies, the average random-effects effect size was r = .075, with several moderators.
Reinhold, Bürkner & Holling (2018): Effects of expressive writing on depressive symptoms, a meta-analysis — 39 RCTs with 64 comparisons in physically healthy adults: no significant long-term effect on depressive symptoms; larger effects with more sessions and more specific topics.
Burton & King (2004): The health benefits of writing about intensely positive experiences — 90 undergraduates who wrote about intensely positive experiences for 20 minutes on 3 days had better mood and fewer health center visits for illness over three months than controls.
Baikie & Wilhelm (2005): Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing — Describes the standard 15 to 20 minute, 3 to 5 session paradigm, short-term distress after writing, and that expressive writing should not replace appropriate treatment.

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What research says about expressive writing and journaling