Enhanced wound healing after emotional disclosure intervention.

OBJECTIVES

Psychological stress is believed to impair wound healing via a down-regulation of the immune system. Since previous research suggests that disclosure of tra-umatic experiences can result in an up-regulation of immune function, the present study aimed to investigate the impact of a disclosure intervention on the progress of wound healing.

DESIGN

The study used a prospective, longitudinal design with random assignment to the control (writing about time management) and experimental group (writing about a traumatic event).

METHODS

Participants (N=36) completed questionnaires measuring perceived and emotional distress, loneliness, self-esteem, social support, dispositional optimism, and health-related behaviours. Accurate indication of the healing of a small punch biopsy wound was determined by using a high-resolution ultrasound scanner.

RESULTS

Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that the disclosure intervention impacted wound healing. Participants who wrote about traumatic events had significantly smaller wounds 14 and 21 days after the biopsy compared with those who wrote about time management.

CONCLUSIONS

It is concluded that a relatively brief and easy to administer intervention can have beneficial effects on wound healing. The potential for use in patient samples is indicated.