The effect of positive written disclosure on excessive worry

Worry is a cognitive-emotional state characterized by apprehension and dread of one's fears becoming a reality. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether a positively focused writing task could cause a significant reduction in worry among individuals who worry excessively. Participants were divided into two groups, high worriers (i.e., the experimental group) and nonhigh worriers (i.e., the control group), based on their score on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Participants were also randomly assigned to one of two writing conditions, which required them to write for 20 minutes per day for 3 days. The first condition was a positive writing task (i.e., the experimental condition), which asked participants to write about their feared outcomes in a positive light, focus on the potential benefits associated with their fears, and devise ways to cope with their fears. The second condition was a neutral writing task (i.e., the control condition), which asked participants to write about nonfeared outcomes, such as the activities in which they participated the previous day.;The study's first hypothesis was that high worriers in the positive writing condition would experience a significant reduction in worry 1 week after the writing tasks were completed. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th hypotheses were that high worriers in the neutral writing condition, nonhigh worriers in the positive writing condition, and nonhigh worriers in the neutral writing condition would not experience a significant reduction in worry 1 week after the writing tasks were completed.;Thirty-eight participants finished the study, 17 of whom were assigned to the positively focused writing task and 21 of whom were assigned to the neutral writing task. Results from a mixed effects regression model indicated that vii the positive writing condition caused a significant reduction in worry among high worriers but not among nonhigh worriers. In addition, high worriers in the neutral writing condition did not experience a significant reduction in worry. As for nonhigh worriers in the neutral writing condition, they too did not experience a significant reduction in worry. These findings suggest that a positively focused writing method may be a valuable clinical tool in treating high-worrying individuals.