Historically, research has suggested that coping with stress by expressing emotions is maladaptive. With improved conceptualization and assessment of stressor-related emotional expression, more recent research has revealed that emotional expression can promote well-being in individuals who are under stress. Characteristics of stressors, individuals, social contexts, and the emotional expressions themselves determine whether emotionally expressive coping is beneficial. Identifying who benefits from emotional expression in which contexts and how the positive effects of emotionally expressive coping accrue can inform theories of coping and emotion and further the development of interventions for populations undergoing stress.
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