Last updated October 13, 2026. This is a reference page about studies of journaling and expressive writing. Those are related, but not identical: much of the research below tests structured writing exercises, not every kind of personal journal. Each number links to its original source.
U.S. adults were surveyed about stress
The American Psychological Association’s 2025 Stress in America survey was fielded August 4–24, 2025, with 3,199 qualified U.S. adults. American Psychological Association, 2025 ↗
Reported high stress
In that same 2025 survey, 20% of respondents rated their average stress over the past month at 8–10 on a 10-point scale. This is a survey result, not a measure of a journaling outcome. American Psychological Association, 2025 ↗
Randomized trials in one journaling review
A 2022 systematic review of journaling for PTSD, anxiety, and depression included 20 peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials and 31 outcomes. The authors reported substantial variation across studies. Sohal et al., 2022 ↗
Participants in long-term expressive-writing research
A 2023 meta-analysis examined 31 experimental studies with follow-up assessments. Its overall effect on depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms was small, so the result should not be treated as a substitute for care. Guo, 2023 ↗
Trials compared expressive and positive writing
A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis compared expressive and positive writing across 24 randomized trials with 1,558 participants. Results differed by population and outcome. Lin et al., 2023 ↗
Participants in a health-care-use meta-analysis
A 2006 meta-analysis located 30 independent randomized samples. It found results varied across healthy, medical, and psychologically screened groups. Harris, 2006 ↗
What these statistics do and do not say
Research on writing practices has real limits. Study participants, prompts, comparison groups, and outcomes vary widely. A small average effect in a meta-analysis does not tell us how one individual will feel after one entry, and it does not mean a journal can diagnose, treat, or replace professional mental-health care.
For a personal practice, a lower-stakes question is often more useful: does a few minutes on the page help you notice what happened, name what feels hard, or keep a thought from rattling around alone? JoyPop journals are made for that honest, everyday kind of reflection.
Method and sources
We chose public, named sources that report their sample sizes and methods. Research findings are described as the source reports them, with limitations included where the reviews identify mixed or varied results. This page is reviewed monthly or when a key source is updated.
- American Psychological Association, 2025 ↗, for the statistic above.
- American Psychological Association, 2025 ↗, for the statistic above.
- Sohal et al., 2022 ↗, for the statistic above.
- Guo, 2023 ↗, for the statistic above.
- Lin et al., 2023 ↗, for the statistic above.
- Harris, 2006 ↗, for the statistic above.
Cite this page
JoyPop Journals. (2026, October 13). Journaling research statistics: 6 findings to cite in 2026. https://joypopjournal.com/resources/journaling-research-statistics