Petrie et al., 1995: Writing about personal traumas increased antibody levels and improved immune function among medical students 4 to 6 months later
Reference:
Petrie, K. J., Booth, R. J., Pennebaker, J. W., Davison, K. P., & Thomas, M. G. (1995). Disclosure of trauma and immune response to a hepatitis B vaccination program. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 63(5), 787.
Download PDFSummary:
Asking medical students to write about their “deepest thoughts and feelings” in personal traumatic experiences in 4 consecutive daily sessions showed higher antibody levels in response to a hepatitis B vaccine delivered 1 day after the last writing session 4- and 6-months later as well as improvement in other immune functions, as compared to medical students who wrote about trivial topics.
Psychological Process:
What Desired Meaning is At Stake?
What is the Person Trying to Understand?
Selves (My Own and Others')Approach to Desired Meaning
What about it?
Changing beliefs about emotions, states, and the valence of the self-conceptHow?
Psychological Question Addressed
Are negative past emotions, states, and experiences ongoing and undermining?Are negative past emotions, states, and experiences ongoing and undermining?Psychological Question Addressed
Are negative past emotions, states, and experiences ongoing and undermining?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Social Area:
Health
Intervention Technique:
Active reflection, on negative experiences