Health Effects of Disclosing Secrets to Imagined Accepting Versus Nonaccepting Confidants

In Experiment 1, undergraduates (N = 87) wrote about a personal secret while imagining (a) an accepting confidant, (b) a nonaccepting confidant, or (c) no confidant; or they wrote about trivial events. Unlike the no–confidant group, the accepting group reported fewer illnesses at 8–week follow–up than did the nonaccepting group, especially to the extent that the accepting group found their confidants to be accepting and discreet. Experiment 2 (N= 74) used the same design, except that the confidant manipulation came after the writing. Eight weeks later, the accepting group—having imagined reactions that were more accepting and less judgmental than the nonaccepting group—again reported fewer illnesses than did the nonaccepting group. The authors suggest that when people keep personal secrets, they often do so because they fear being ostracized. Revealing to an accepting confidant can reduce this feeling of alienation and, as a consequence, can lead to health benefits.