Mental Health World Conference 2026

Abstract

Expressive writing, as a language mediated practice for regulating emotions and making meaning, has attracted growing interdisciplinary attention, but few studies have examined how this field has evolved over time. This study, therefore, synthesizes research on expressive writing from 1986 to 2025 through an overview and a diachronic analysis, covering theoretical orientations, research topics, research methods, and emerging trends. The results show an overall steady increase in publication output across four periods 1986 to 1995, 1996 to 2005, 2006 to 2015, and 2016 to 2025. Specifically, theoretical orientations have shifted from psychodynamic perspectives to cognitive approaches, and more recently, to social and positive psychological perspectives research topics have primarily focused on intervention effects on mental health, followed by effect factors and textual features, with sustained attention to these areas over the last two periods quantitative approaches have been predominant, with qualitative and mixed method approaches expanding in the last decade. In addition, recent research demonstrates a growing interest in positive writing, well-being related outcomes, and digitally mediated writing contexts. These findings indicate a trend of increasing diversity, positive shift, and interdisciplinary integration in expressive writing research. By foregrounding writing as a language mediated practice, this study has implications for future research at the intersection of writing, emotion, and well being in psychology, applied linguistics and writing studies.