A group of UK psychologists “found that regular diarists were more likely than non-diarists to suffer from headaches, sleeplessness, digestive problems and social awkwardness.” (New Scientist) One of them, Elaine Duncan of the Glasgow Caledonian University, said, �In fact, you�re probably much better off if you don�t write anything at all.� That’s good advice. I wonder if she wrote that.

As usual with these kinds of studies, this one is proof of nothing. They tested a group of diarists and a group of non-diarists and found that the diarists had more headaches. Does that prove there is a direct link between keeping a diary and bad health? No. The sample groups were small and the researchers admit the study couldn’t show which came first — the health problems or the diary.

It could be that people who are depressed are more likely to keep a diary and depression is actually what is causing the health problem. Or that all of these diarists had more health problems to begin with. Or that people with health problems just stay home more so they are more likely to keep a diary. To infer a link to social awkardness is a real stretch — that one in particular is probably the other way around.

Maybe people who write a lot are just smarter therefore they worry more therefore they have more headaches. In that case, you’d be better off if you stopped thinking.

The study didn’t talk about blogs specifically (it didn’t not talk about them either). Is there a difference (vis a vis health) between a private diary and a public blog (unread or otherwise)? Perhaps, rather than not write, those sick diarists should blog. The social contact might help.