EXAMINING THE THEORY AND CLINICAL UTILITY OF WRITING ABOUT EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES

Pennebaker's (this issue) intervention for writing about emotional exp eriences shows promise as a module for inclusion in therapeutic packag es. There are conceptual, methodological, and practical issues to be c onsidered, however: These issues are discussed, and parallels are draw n from the literatures on the mood-regulatory function of dreams and o n the effects of social support on health. Although there is evidence that writing about emotional experiences has beneficial effects on hea lth, it is premature to recommend writing intervention as a treatment component for specific problems. What is needed at this point is syste matic research to evaluate its clinical utility.