Journaling for kids and teens: small benefits, real privacy
Writing privately about thoughts and feelings is one of the most-studied simple wellbeing practices. For young people, the benefit is real but small.
Private writing has small but real benefits for young people. A meta-analysis of 21 studies with 10- to 18-year-olds found a small positive effect on emotional distress, behavior and school participation, sometimes larger for kids who were struggling more. Journaling isn't therapy and doesn't replace talking to a trusted adult.
What the research found
- Meta-analysis of 21 youth studies (Travagin, Margola & Revenson, 2015): an overall small effect (g = 0.13) across emotional distress, behavior, social adjustment and school participation. Youth with more emotional difficulties at the start sometimes benefited more in school.
- Across all ages, a large meta-analysis of 146 studies (Frattaroli, 2006) also found a small overall effect.
Where experts disagree
The effects are small, and some clinicians caution that unstructured writing can turn into rumination for some people. Gentle prompts may help, and a journal needs a clear path to a trusted adult or crisis support.
How this shaped OurDot
The OurDot journal is private to the writer: not family, not guardians, not OurDot. Prompts are optional. If an entry sounds like someone is really struggling, a check that runs on the phone shows help resources, like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and nothing is sent or shared. We tell kids about this check in the app, so the journal stays honest about how it works.
What we don't claim
- That journaling treats anxiety or depression.
- That it's "clinically proven."
Sources
- Travagin, Margola & Revenson, "How effective are expressive writing interventions for adolescents?" Clinical Psychology Review (2015)
- Frattaroli, "Experimental disclosure and its moderators: A meta-analysis," Psychological Bulletin 132(6) (2006)