Physical Benefits

Physical health has been found to improve through creative writing.  Some examples include:

• Reduction in resting blood pressure levels.
• Improved mobility and reduced pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
• Reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms among patients with maladaptive rumination.
• Decrease in disease symptoms and improvement in cognition in irritable bowel syndrome patients with longer-term disease.
• Reduced health care visits and reduction in physical symptoms in patients with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancer.
• Improvements in lung function in adult asthma patients.
• Immune function was found to be boosted with expressive writing.  HIV/AIDS patients who wrote about negative life experiences produced higher CD4 lymphocyte counts.  In another study, people who wrote about traumatic experiences before receiving the hepatitis B vaccine had a stronger immune response, producing more antibodies.
• Improved liver function.
• Fewer days in the hospital.

Mental Benefits

It has been reported that creative writing can improve mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.  Some examples include:

• Expressive writing can reduce symptoms of depression in women who are struggling with the aftermath of intimate partner violence.
• Writing in a journal may also be as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy for reducing symptoms of depression in high-risk adolescents.
• In general, people diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder reported significantly lower depression scores after three days of expressive writing, 20 minutes per day.

Overall, creative writing has proven effective for many different conditions or mental illnesses, including:

• Posttraumatic Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Grief and Loss
• Chronic Illness Issues
• Substance Abuse
• Eating Disorders
• Interpersonal Relationship Issues
• Communication Skill Issues
• Low Self-Esteem

Emotional Benefits

Accessing your blocked-up emotions can make you feel better and improve your emotional state.  Some examples include:

• Boost your mood.
• Enhance your sense of well-being.
• Reduce symptoms of depression before an important event.
• Reduce intrusion and avoidance symptoms post-trauma.
• Improve your working memory.
• Calming and clearing your mind.
• Releasing pent-up feelings and everyday stress.
• Letting go of negative thoughts.
• Enhancing your self-awareness and teaching you about your triggers.
• Reduced absenteeism from work.
• Quicker re-employment after job loss.
• Improved sporting performance.
• Higher students’ grade point average.
• Altered social and linguistic behavior.