TAKE PART IN A STUDY EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF EXPRESSIVE WRITING ON HEALTH

I am a PhD student looking for carers to take part in a study investigating the effects of written expression on health. The study builds upon new research which has suggested that brief periods of writing can have beneficial effects on people’s health. For example, writing about various topics for just 20 minutes a day for 3 days has been found to improve people’s mood, stress management and even immune functioning. It is hoped that in the future this research will have real value in improving the well-being of people, particularly those in challenging and stressful situations, and possibly even those with illnesses such as asthma and arthritis.

Taking part in the study involves completing some questionnaires, writing on an assigned topic for 20 minutes on each of 3 days, and then completing some further questionnaires. This takes approximately 2 hours of time in total – spread over a 6 month period. NO TRAVEL IS REQUIRED - materials will be posted to carers to complete in their own time at home and returned in ready-addressed freepost envelopes. All carers who take part will be entered into a prize draw to win £250.

Please contact Laura Ashley at Leeds University for more information.

Tel: 0113 343 6694

E-mail: carerstudy@leeds.ac.uk

Post: Institute of Psychological Sciences, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT