Disclosure and anxiety: A test of the fever model.

Abstract

According to the fever model of Disclosure, the relationship of Disclosure (utterances that reveal subjective information) to psychological distress is analogous to the relationship of fever to physical infection: Both are indicators of some underlying disturbance and part of a restorative process. High and moderate trait anxious university students (but not the low trait anxious students) used higher percentages of Disclosure when speaking about an anxiety-arousing topic than when speaking about a happy topic. With topic order counterbalanced, students tended to use more Disclosure during their 1st presentation than during their 2nd. These results support the fever model's suggestion that people tend to Disclose when they are distressed.

Disclosure of distress among anxiety-disordered youth: Differences in treatment outcome

“…This openness may allow them to benefit more from treatment because they are able to discuss and problem-solve through their own distress. This perspective is in accord with researchers suggesting that disclosure is a form of emotional release and fosters greater self-understanding (e.g., Jourard, 1964Jourard, , 1971Stiles, 1995;Stiles et al, 1992). Alternately, disclosers of low distress may be unable to discuss their difficulties, as they do not experience it as distressing (although others have found it distressing enough to warrant a diagnosis).…”

“…Symptom reduction results from the concealment of negative information (i.e., reduction in sharing of symptoms), that in turn elicits positive responses from the therapist. Others support the opposite view and maintain that disclosure reduces psychological distress through catharsis and promotion of self-understanding (e.g., Jourard, 1964Jourard, , 1971Stiles, 1987;Stiles et al, 1992). Although the question of whether disclosure is associated with better or worse therapy outcome continues to be debated in the adult literature, the issue of self-disclosure among children remains largely ignored.…”

“…Disclosure in therapy is a topic that is almost exclusively discussed in the adult literature (see Kelly, 2000 for a review; see also Arkin & Hermann, 2000;Hill, Gelso, & Mohr, 2000;Mayo, 1968;McDaniel, Stiles, & McGaughey, 1981;Rippere, 1977;Stiles, Shuster, & Harrigan, 1992). Much of the research has focused on whether self-disclosure or openness (i.e., sharing personal information and reactions) in therapy is associated with more or less favorable outcomes.…”

Client concealment and disclosure of secrets in outpatient psychotherapy

“…Numerous studies have found level of disclosure to be correlated with distress level in clinical and healthy samples (Jacobson & Anderson, 1982;McDaniel, Stiles, & McGaughey, 1981;Stiles, Shuster, & Harrigan, 1992;Rippere, 1977). For instance, Stiles et al (1992) found that anxious college students were more disclosing when they spoke about their anxiety than when they spoke about a happy subject, indicating a need to talk about their distress.…”

“…For instance, Stiles et al (1992) found that anxious college students were more disclosing when they spoke about their anxiety than when they spoke about a happy subject, indicating a need to talk about their distress.…”