Directed Writing Exercise Can Increase Self-Disclosure of Distressing Events

Revealing difficulties to others can improve well-being, increase social support, reduce depressive symptoms, and mitigate the sense of shame that is thought to underpin many psychological problems. Talking about events that threaten self-esteem can be especially difficult, but self-disclosure might be key to coping with such events.

Hypothesizing that boosting self-esteem or self-compassion might facilitate self-disclosure, researchers asked 85 female undergraduates to recall an experience from the past 5 years that they had not previously disclosed and that still made them feel badly about themselves. Participants were then randomized to one of three writing exercises, lasting at most 10 minutes:

• Self-compassionate (e.g., express understand…