I just read an article published on the ABC news website that says yes! But the studies they site as their source of information don't say that at all!!
The only published study they site was a cross-sectional study which gives us a snap shot of New Myspace.com users intention to blog or not to blog and several psychological variables. "Intending bloggers scored higher on psychological distress, self-blame, and venting and scored lower on social integration and satisfaction with number of online and face-to-face friends."1 The participants hadn't actually blogged though!! They just had the intention to blog. So the exposure I'm interested in: "Blogging" and its effect on happiness weren’t really studied.
In a cross sectional study we can't determine temporal sequence. What came first the intention to blog or the distress? When I started blogging I would have reported increase distress and venting because I didn't want to blog!! I would have still reported I had the intention to blog. Blogging was causing my distress not helping it though....
The second study mentioned had not been published. According to the article the authors sent out questionnaires to the same group of MySpace users. In the first study there where 134 participants. Of those only 59 responded to the second questionnaires. That means that we don't know what happened to 56% of the participants. That is high number that could have had a negative effect from blogging or internet social networking.
Based on these articles, I can’t start recommending my patients start to blog to help with their depression. Intention to blog may be a good screening tool though. Maybe we need to do a study about that.
There are studies that journaling helps depression. Blogging is not the same though. Journaling is private. When you blog your letting the whole world know what your feeling and they can comment on it. This feedback may be good or bad for you though.
If you are interested you can download the UW-Madison patient hand out I use on Using Journaling to aid health by clicking on the link. The website also has more information on non-drug approaches to help you feel happier.
What do you think? Has blogging helped you?
Bibliography:
1. Baker JR, Moore SM. Distress, coping, and blogging: comparing new myspace users by their intention to blog. Cyberpsychol Behav. 2008 Feb;11(1):81-5. PubMed PMID: 18275317.
Hi Sonia this is Maykell, on this topic and not religion I think I agree with you. I can't think writing a blog or on sites like facebook make poeple happier. I think it is the opposite with the constant pressure to look good or have something witty to say, or having your life validated by other people hitting the like button or commenting on your post. It has already been researched that people only put the best pictures up and try to write flattering things about themselves. There is no way it is like Journaling where you know the real truth about what you are writing and there is no one that is going to judge you but yourselve.
ReplyDeleteHi Maykell! On my first post on this blog, I wrote that reading the bible probably wouldn't be the answer for my happiness right now. I have to read a whole textbook on epidemiology and many article for other classes....So am I getting this right? Is my very atheist friend here suggesting I read the bible to find happiness? jajaja :-)
ReplyDeleteCan blogging make you happy? or help with depression?
ReplyDeleteIt may be, if you enjoy doing it.
Some people express themselves better writing.
Or it may not be the blogging per Se, but to do something that you enjoy what helps.