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When Children Tell Their Friends They Have AIDS: Possible Consequences for Psychological Well-Being and Disease Progression

From the Catholic University of America (B.F.S., G.A.B.), Washington, DC; and the National Institutes of Health (L.S.W., H.B.B.), Bethesda, MD.

Address reprint requests to: George A. Bonanno, PhD, Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Box 218, 525 West 120th St., Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027. Email: gab{at}columbia.edu

OBJECTIVE: Past research has demonstrated that self-disclosure of traumatic or secretive information produces observable health benefits. Self-disclosure has also been linked, albeit less consistently, to improved psychological health. The present study examined the physiological and psychological consequences of children’s self-disclosure of their HIV/AIDS status to friends.

METHODS: Data were collected twice, one year apart, from 64 caregiver-child dyads in which all of the children were infected with HIV. Dependent variables included the child’s CD4%, self-concept, and level of behavioral problems.

RESULTS: Children who had disclosed their HIV+ diagnosis to friends 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 effect remained significant when the child’s age and level of medication (protease inhibitors) were statistically controlled. Self-disclosure to friends 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 were consistent with previous studies showing the positive health consequences of self-disclosure in adults, and suggest potentially important implications for professional and familial care givers of HIV/AIDS individuals.

Key Words: self-disclosure • behavior • self-concept • children • HIV • AIDS • disease progression

Abbreviations: HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; EBV = Epstein-Barrvirus; SPPC = Self-Perception Profile for Children; SPPA = Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents; CBCL = Child Behavior Check List; ANOVA = analysis of variance; ANCOVA = analysis of covariance.

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