When children tell their friends they have AIDS: possible consequences for psychological well-being and disease progression.

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.