Expressing negative emotions - Are the psychological and physical health effects of a movement-based emotional expression intervention comparable to those from a writing intervention?

Abstract

Research has shown that the experience of negative emotions can have effects on both the psychological and physical health of individuals, particularly when emotional responses to a past traumatic event are inhibited. Emotional expression interventions, in particular writing-based interventions, have been shown to have beneficial effects on both psychological and physical health of participants. Less research has explored emotional expression interventions through other forms of communication. This study aimed to explore the potential health effects of a movement-based emotional expression intervention, with a comparison to a traditional writing-based intervention. Secondary aims were to compare the effects of each intervention within two groups of students; Dance and English majors. The study further examined differences in satisfaction within each intervention, and an analysis of language used in the writing task. To do this, nine English and 12 Dance students from the University of Auckland were randomized to receive one of two emotional expression interventions; movement- or writing based. Participants carried out three 15-minute sessions over a three week period. Measures of mood, personality, communicator style and emotional expressivity were taken prior to the first session. Mood, Impact of Events and physical symptoms were assessed pre-intervention, after each intervention session and at a 2-month follow-up. Measures of perceived stress, doctor visits, days sick, days with activity restricted due to illness and days with activity restricted due to injury were taken at baseline and at follow-up. English and dance students differed on the personality subscale of neuroticism with English students showing higher levels of neuroticism than Dance students. No differences were found between the groups in baseline measures of mood, communicator style or emotional expressivity. The movement-based emotional intervention was shown to have comparable effects to the writing-based intervention. Neither the movement nor writing conditions demonstrated short-term changes in health although the groups significantly differed on short-term anger with the movement group showing a decrease and the writing condition showing a small increase in anger across the three intervention sessions. There were significant changes in long-term psychological health in both the movement and writing conditions. The movement intervention group reported significant reductions from pre-intervention to follow-up in total Impact of Events, avoidance, intrusion, hyperarousal, total negative mood and fatigue while the writing group reported significant reductions in avoidance from pre-intervention to follow-up. The movement group reported significantly greater decreases in total negative mood, anger and tension compared to the writing group. The writing condition experienced a significant reduction in recent days sick from pre-intervention to follow-up. No other changes in physical health were found in the writing or movement group. Satisfaction scores were not significantly different between the two conditions though there was a trend for higher scores in all but enjoyment for the writing group. Dance and English students reported differing effects from each intervention. Participants assigned to the intervention that was inconsistent with their major showed significant long-term decreases in Impact of Events, intrusion and hyperarousal. English students in the movement group reported a significantly greater decrease in tension compared to both English students who wrote and Dance students who wrote and non-significant trends for greater reductions in total negative mood, anger and hyperarousal compared to the other groups. Dance students who took part in the movement intervention reported significant long-term decreases in Impact of Events and avoidance, Dance students in the writing group reported reductions in avoidance and English students in the writing condition reported decreased depression from baseline to follow-up. The inconsistent group reported a significantly greater decrease in hyperarousal over the follow-up period, compared to the consistent group. The inconsistent group showed a trend towards higher satisfaction scores, though this did not reach significance. Findings from this study suggest that movement-based emotional expression interventions can produce beneficial long-term health effects, and that movement- and writing-based expression tasks affect Dance and English students differently. Further examination using a non-emotional expression control group and a larger sample size may provide further evidence for the health effects of movement-based emotional expression.