A study conducted by Sonja Lyubomirsky and colleagues at the University of California looked at how people dealt with negative events and the subsequent outcomes. Those participants who wrote down or talked about the event showed an increase in social functioning, mental health and life satisfaction. However, those who just thought about the event saw a decrease in life satisfaction and no other changes.

Online counselling provides people with an opportunity to both talk about negative events as well as to write down and submit their concerns to a counsellor.