The Importance of Storytelling in Reducing Stress: An Integrative Review of Psychological, Social, and Therapeutic Perspectives

August 16, 2026Open Access

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Key Points

To examine storytelling as a complementary strategy for reducing psychological stress and promoting overall well-being.
Conducted an integrative narrative review synthesizing literature on storytelling, narrative medicine, expressive writing, and stress management.
Analyzed conceptual mechanisms, therapeutic applications, and empirical evidence from reviews and meta-analyses across health and psychological settings.
Identified key stress-reduction mechanisms including emotional articulation, cognitive narrative organization, meaning-making, social validation, and agency reconstruction.
Highlighted evidence from a 2023 meta-analysis of 31 experimental trials (N=4,012) showing significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms following expressive narrative interventions.

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Integrative review reveals storytelling supports stress reduction and well-being, suggesting valuable psychological coping mechanisms.

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Dr. Anuradha H.R. (2026) studied this question.

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