Delmar-Morgan, R.; (2008) Does expressive writing lead to physical health benefits in women who have undergone surgery for gynecological cancers? Doctoral thesis , University of London.

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Abstract

This paper examines the effectiveness of psychological interventions for patients undergoing major surgery. It reviews which of these help patients either in their psychological adaptation to or physical recovery from surgery. A total of 26 intervention studies were identified. These were divided into five categories of intervention: (1) psycho-education (2) social support (3) relaxation (4) expressive writing and (5) supportive and mixed interventions. Twenty two studies analysed measures of psychological outcomes of these, eleven reported improvements. Twenty two studies reported on measures of physical recovery of these, 10 studies reported improvements. Three further studies found better physical health outcomes in control than in intervention groups. Overall, there is mixed evidence that psychological interventions improve physical and psychological outcomes after major surgery. More good quality studies are needed to explore how psychological interventions could be incorporated into surgical ward practises.

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