The efficacy of written emotional expression in the reduction of psychological distress in police officers

Abstract

This study examined the impact that writing about personal emotions had on distress levels in police officers. A total of 67 police officers randomly assigned to either a writing intervention or a non-writing control group completed the study. Over a period of 4 work days the intervention group members wrote for 15 minutes a day about their strong emotions related to work or not, and what they planned to do about the emotions. All participants completed measures of stress, anxiety, and depression before and after the intervention. The results showed that the writing group experienced significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety post-intervention than the control group. The results suggest that writing about emotions can help reduce distress in police officers.