Shame and non-disclosure: A study of the emotional isolation of people referred for psychotherapy

Thirty-four people referred to an NHS psychotherapy department were given a modified form of Oatley acid Duncan's (1992) emotion diary which included questions about whether each recorded emotion had been subsequently disclos ed to anyone (for example a partner, friend or professional). One week late r the diaries were collected and participants interviewed. Interviews focus ed, among other things, on reasons for nondisclosure of recorded emotional experiences and the relationship between shame and non-disclosure. The resu lts indicated that a majority of the emotional incidents recorded in the di aries were not disclosed (68%). This result contrasts with studies on non-c linical samples in which only approximately 10% of everyday emotions are ke pt secret. Qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed that partici pants appeared to be habitual non-disclosers of emotional and personal expe riences and that non-disclosure was related to the anticipation of negative interpersonal responses to disclosure (in particular labelling and judging responses) in addition to more self-critical factors including shame. It i s suggested that these results add to the existing literature on shame by i llustrating the interpersonal effects of shame in a clinical sample.