How Writing About Life-Changing Events Improves Mental Health in Young Adults

What is it about?

This study explored how different types of personal writing can boost the health and well-being of young adults. We compared "turning-point writing" (describing an event that changed your life) with "expressive writing" (exploring deep emotions) and a control task. Our research involved 253 university students writing for just 15–20 minutes over three consecutive days. We found that those who wrote about turning points experienced significant personal growth and a decrease in depressive symptoms six weeks later. The study reveals that the key to these benefits lies in "causal coherence"—the ability to explain how a past event shaped who you are today—and focusing on meaningful relationships, which helped reduce doctor visits and improve self-esteem. This suggests that structured writing is a simple yet powerful tool for enhancing mental health during the transition to adulthood.

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Photo by Becky Fantham on Unsplash

Photo by Becky Fantham on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is unique because it is the first study to experimentally compare the health benefits of turning-point writing against the well-established method of expressive writing. While expressive writing has been studied for decades, this work identifies specific narrative "ingredients"—such as writing about social connection and personal reasoning—that drive psychological improvement. Additionally, this work is timely as it focuses on emerging adults (ages 18–25), who are at a developmental stage where they are actively constructing their identities and making sense of their life stories. This study provides a low-cost, accessible tool for supporting student mental health.

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