Expressive writing may help reduce negative alcohol-related consequences among people prone to heavy drinking

AI Summary

A trial involving college students found that writing about a negative drinking experience and related feelings of guilt was associated with fewer alcohol-related consequences over the following year. Researchers suggest expressive writing could be a brief intervention for people prone to heavy drinking, though its effects on behavior remain uncertain.

Writing about a drinking experience that went badly and associated feelings of guilt was linked to reduced negative alcohol-related consequences over the next year in a trial involving college students. Expressive writing may offer a fresh approach to brief alcohol interventions, which aim to motivate changes in drinking behaviors. It has been somewhat effective as a brief intervention for improving other aspects of well-being, such as emotional regulation and coping, though results for behavior change and heavy drinking have been mixed.