Abstract: As a kind of psychological intervention,expressive writing is used to disclose and express one’s deepest thoughts and feelings about the most significant experience through writing. Expressive writing operates easily and improves physical and mental health significantly. Its effects are affected by the object’s mental characteristics, involvement level, writing topic and other factors. Exposure, habituation, attention shifting and congnitive restructuring may be the mechanism.

Key words: expressive writing, psychological intervention, physical and mental health