When children tell their friends they have AIDS: Possible consequences forpsychological well-being and disease progression

Objective: Past research has demonstrated that self-disclosure of traumatic or secretive information produces observable health benefits. Self-disclos ure has also been linked, albeit less consistently, to improved psychologic al health. The present study examined the physiological and psychological c onsequences of children's self-disclosure of their HIV/AIDS status to frien ds. Methods: Data were collected twice, one year apart, from 64 caregiver-c hild dyads in which all of the children were infected with HIV. Dependent v ariables included the child's CD4%, self-concept, and level of behavioral p roblems, Results: Children who had disclosed their HIV+ diagnosis to friend s during the 1-year course of the study had a significantly larger increase in CD4% than children who had told their friends before the study or those children who had not yet disclosed their HIV+ diagnosis to friends. This e ffect remained significant when the child's age and level of medication (pr otease inhibitors) were statistically controlled. Self-disclosure to friend s did not impact the child's behavior or self-concept. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate the effect of self-disclosure in children. The results ware consistent with previous studies showing the positive heal th consequences of self-disclosure in adults, and suggest potentially impor tant implications for professional and familial care givers of HIV/AIDS ind ividuals.