Expressive Writing: An investigation of whether and how writing about stressful experiences can be used to enhance psychological and physical well-being in recently treated adult cancer patients and healthy community volunteers

The Expressive Writing technique involves writing about a stressful experience using both emotional and factual descriptive words utlising a journal format. The technique has been found to be helpful in improving psychological and physical health functioning in various populations, under experimental conditions. Researchers have yet to adequately explain how this technique leads to health benefits. The aim of this study is to investigate how the Expressive Writing task leads to positive health functioning in two distinct populations; cancer survivors and healthy individuals. The study outcomes will be helpful in identifying how this task can be adapted to be used as a therapeutic technique in clinical health settings, to enhance the well-being of Australians.