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Emotional disclosure in school children.
M Reynolds1, C R Brewin, M Saxton
1Royal Holloway, University of London, UK. mreynold@sghms.ac.uk
Summary
Writing about stressful events may benefit children's health and school performance. This study adapted emotional disclosure for school children, finding general symptom reduction, though specific effects were limited.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Education
- Health
Background:
- Emotional disclosure writing shows psychological and physical health benefits in adults.
- Adapting emotional disclosure for school children requires investigation into its effects on well-being and academic outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that repeated description of negative events benefits children's mental health, attendance, and school performance.
- To evaluate the feasibility and potential value of emotional disclosure interventions for school-aged children.
Main Methods:
- A controlled trial involving 8-13 year old children from four schools (suburban and inner-city).
- Random assignment to three groups: writing about negative events, writing about non-emotional events, or a control group.
- Intervention involved four writing sessions over a week, with follow-up assessments at 2 months.
Main Results:
- The intervention was well-received by participants and schools.
- Scripts confirmed differences between emotional and non-emotional writing groups.
- Little evidence of a specific effect of emotional disclosure on targeted measures was found.
Conclusions:
- A general reduction in symptom measures suggests potential benefits for children involved in the study.
- Emotional disclosure interventions are feasible and potentially valuable for helping children discuss stressors.
- Further research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms and optimize outcomes for children.