Do Bloggers Have Better Mental Health? The Social, Cognitive, and Psychological Benefits of Blogging in Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal processes by which blogging-related disclosure is linked to mental health. It was hypothesized that blogging had both social and cognitive benefits, including greater perceived social support and fewer memory slips, which were then associated with better mental health. Methods: A total of 194 emerging adults were recruited three times at approximately three months apart. Participants filled out a self-report about their blogging activities and perceived benefits, social support, memory, and mental health at each time point. Results: Path analysis indicated that perceived blogging-related benefits, needs, and traits mediated the relation between frequency of blogging and social support and memory slips, respectively. Moreover, social support marginally predicted greater mental health, whereas memory slips predicted poorer mental health, after controlling for baseline mental health, age, and gender. Conclusions: This study established the longitudinal associations between blogging and its benefits that may be vital for emerging adults’ mental health.