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Poor cognitive‐emotional processing may impede the outcome of emotional disclosure interventions
Author(s) -
Middendorp Henriët,
Geenen Rinie
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1348/135910707x251199
Subject(s) - alexithymia , cognition , psychology , psychological intervention , clinical psychology , cognitive reappraisal , intervention (counseling) , psychiatry
Objectives. To examine the potential relevance of alexithymia and induced cognitive–emotional processing for the efficacy of emotional disclosure. Methods. Associations were examined of alexithymia and emotional and cognitive word use with self‐assessed psychological and disease activity outcome in 37 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (23 females; mean age 58 years). Results. Cognitive and positive emotion word use during the disclosure sessions predicted improved psychological well‐being but not disease activity after the intervention. Negative emotion word use and alexithymia did not significantly predict outcome. Conclusion. Our study suggests that poor cognitive–emotional processing may impede the outcome of emotional disclosure interventions.