CHICAGO
Underscoring the connection between stress and illness, a study found that patients with arthritis or asthma often got better after writing about terrible experiences in their lives such as a car wreck or the death of a loved one.

A group of 112 patients spent a total of just one hour writing. Four months later, nearly half of those who wrote about stressful events had improved significantly. The study is believed to be the first to examine how writing about stressful events affects specific illnesses, but similar studies have shown benefits for healthy people.