Emotional Disclosure Research Articles

Trajectories of emotional disclosure with parents during the college transition among Asian first-year students.

The college transition is a time of great emotional lability, and sharing emotional experiences with parents can be beneficial for first-year students. Guided by the social sharing of emotions framework and the cultural theory on self-construal, this study investigated the developmental course of freshmen's emotional disclosure with parents during the first semester and the mediating role of independence-orientation in two Asian contexts-Beijing (China) and Singapore. Using experience sampling method (online diary), 205 Chinese freshmen (Mage = 19.43) and 291 Singapore freshmen (Mage = 19.44) reported on four facets of emotional disclosure with parents (frequency, intimacy, negativity, and positivity) across four timepoints and their independence-interdependence orientation (Time 1). Latent growth curve modeling comparing the two Asian samples revealed that frequency increased for Chinese students and decreased for Singapore students. Intimacy indicated upward trajectories for both Asian samples, whereas negativity and positivity showed downward trajectories but were less pronounced for Chinese students. Mediated latent growth curve modeling revealed that the cultures predicted independence-orientation, which in turn negatively predicted increase in frequency for the Singapore sample and positively predicted decrease for the Chinese sample. Independence-orientation negatively predicted increase in intimacy, positively predicted decline in negativity, and negatively predicted decline in positivity. In sum, we found complex and differentiated trajectories for the four facets of emotional disclosure in two Asian samples and the mediating role of independence-orientation in explaining cultural differences in the trajectories, which have implications for understanding emotional disclosure to parents during the developmental phase of the college transition in Asian contexts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

AI assistant is my new best friend! Role of emotional disclosure, performance expectations and intention to reuse

In this modern era, high-tech companies are launching their AI assistants, considering their role in shaping consumer behavior. This research sheds light by building a conceptual framework using dual process theory to determine the impact of AI assistant advantage on user engagement and user emotional disclosure, subsequently influencing the intention to reuse AI with the moderating role of performance expectation. Using a random sampling method, a structured questionnaire was used for data collection from 644 consumers. The findings show that AI assistant advantages positively impact user engagement, and user emotional disclosure increases the intention to reuse AI assistants. This impact of user engagement and user emotional disclosure, along with performance expectations, maximizes the reuse intention of AI. Managers and marketers in the AI environment can insinuate the study methods to increase the intention of reuse and may transform their marketing strategies to promote their businesses using AI more effectively.

Grief is the price we pay for love: Emotions disclosed by Chinese mourners in online memorial platform

The present paper undertakes an in-depth analysis of the messages within the ‘Grief-expressing’ section of the online memorial platform ‘Heavenly Remembrance.’ Utilizing Grounded Theory alongside a mixed-methods approach incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, this study delves into the emotional categories and referential features in the online discourse of Chinese mourners, drawing upon the Affective Lexicon Ontology. The findings of this study reveal that: firstly, the expressions of Chinese online mourners demonstrate a remarkable diversity and complexity, encompassing a spectrum of emotional categories characterized by both positive and negative attributes. This highlights the capacity of online memorial platforms to provide inclusive spaces for emotional disclosure, thereby facilitating the transformation of traditionally singular and concentrated grief into more personalized and varied emotional experiences. Secondly, the emotional disclosure of Chinese online mourners is directed towards the self, the deceased and the community respectively. Notably, there appears to be a trend over time towards a gradual transition in emotional expression from predominantly negative to increasingly positive, as well as from predominantly individual-focused to more collective-oriented expressions. In light of this, the study also attempts to explain the motivations behind such grief disclosure through the Motivation Model of Pragmatics, thereby theoretically contributing to the research on discourse and emotion in the Chinese mourning context and offering a new perspective on the emotional dynamics of individuals experiencing bereavement in online context.

Post-Traumatic Growth pada Wanita Dewasa Madya Pasca Mastektomi

This study aims to determine the factors and processes of post-traumatic growth in post-mastectomy middle-aged women. Post-traumatic growth is a person's psychological change towards a positive direction that indicates a person has gone through a struggle through a trauma in his life that is challenging and psychologically stressful. The method used in this research is qualitative phenomenology. The technique used to collect data in this research is In-Depth Interview and analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. The results found in this study have main themes, namely factors and processes related to post-traumatic growth. The factors that make informants able to achieve post-traumatic growth are social support from family and environment, spirituality, and optimism. The process that informants go through in achieving post-traumatic growth is through the stages of rumination style, distress management, emotional disclosure, coping strategies and social support to achieve post-traumatic growth.

Qualitative analysis of naturalistically observed conversations among same‐ and different‐gender couples coping with breast cancer

AbstractThis naturalistic observation study explored communication between partners in different types of romantic couples coping with breast cancer (women with women [WW] and women with men [WM]). Past research has suggested WW, versus WM, couples are more likely to have a concordant, immersive approach to coping with illness, characterized by increased emotional disclosure and an emphasis on caregiving. This study aimed to further explore similarities and differences among WW and WM that may suggest how these types of couples cope with and adjust to cancer. Women with breast cancer and their partners wore the Electronically Activated Recorder over one weekend during treatment, as part of a larger study. Sound files from a subsample of eight WW couples and eight matched WM couples were qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis. Overall, WW, versus WM, couples appeared to have more concordant approaches to coping with cancer, which seemed to be associated with less conflict or argumentative communication, suggesting WW may have better coping outcomes than WM. Understanding how diverse types of couples communicate about breast cancer in daily life may help clinicians tailor their treatments to their patients' unique needs.

Supplemental Material for Trajectories of Emotional Disclosure With Parents During the College Transition Among Asian First-Year Students

Supplemental Material for Trajectories of Emotional Disclosure With Parents During the College Transition Among Asian First-Year Students

Athletic identity affects prevalence and disclosure of emotional abuse in Finnish athletes.

The present study offers novel insight into the topic of experienced and observed emotional abuse by researching factors that affect athletes' responses to emotional abuse by coaches. The research aimed to explore three main questions: (1) whether athletic identity was associated with the prevalence of emotionally abusive coaching practices, and (2) disclosure of emotional abuse, and (3) whether demographic variations existed in the frequency of emotional abuse, athletic identity, and disclosure of the abuse. Study participants who filled in an anonymous digital survey consisted of athletes from elite to leisure levels living in Finland (N = 3687, aged 12-80, gender 61% female, 37.7% male, 0.8% other genders). The research findings highlighted three key insights. Firstly, Pearson correlations revealed that a salient athletic identity was related to a higher prevalence of emotional abuse. Secondly, ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis tests between-groups indicated that particularly children were susceptible to the abuse. Thirdly, a mediation analysis showed that self-identity (aspect of athletic identity) influenced the relationship between experienced emotional abuse and disclosure, by reducing disclosure. As a result, holistic identity development is recommended for athletes and particularly children in sports.

Unheard and Unseen: Exploring the Disenfranchisement of Perinatal Loss in North-Indian Men

Mental distress is recognised as common following perinatal loss. But often, existing literature and bereavement care standards focus on women, leaving a gap in understanding men’s grief. This qualitative study examined the emotional experiences of males from some Northern states of India, who had experienced perinatal loss, with a focus on grief disenfranchisement. Eleven participants were interviewed using a semi-structured guide. Thematic analysis unveiled themes on the intersection of religiosity and grief, social structuring of grief patterns, gender-based grieving, inhibited expression of grief in men, disenfranchisement of grief, self-focused coping, coping with the help of others, and interpersonal barriers to emotional disclosure. The findings provide valuable insights, helping mental health practitioners better understand men’s experiences of perinatal loss and develop more effective support strategies.

The positive impact of legal advice and services on the mental wellbeing of UK veterans

ABSTRACT Law has been recognised as a significant social determinant of health, however, micro-level legal advice interventions are underexplored. The dearth of research concerning the experience of British veterans highlights the need for uniquely tailored support services. This need is emphasised by the pervasiveness of mental health issues amongst this population. We investigate the feasibility of remotely delivered legal advice as a social intervention for supporting the mental wellbeing of UK veterans. This is based on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale results from 67 participants, who completed a pre and post legal intervention survey. Average WEMWBS results were higher post-intervention, particularly in participants with pre-identified mental health issues. The difference in overall scores pre and post intervention is statistically significant (p = 0.034). A correlation matrix identifies two variables, with one contributing to 59% variance (LV2). These are identified as “Affective” (LV2), and “Cognitive” (LV1). The difference between LV2 results pre and post intervention was significant (p = 0.016). Findings highlight the importance of individualised interventions for veterans. Free, remotely delivered, tailored legal advice and support shows feasibility as a social intervention due to its ability to encourage emotional disclosure, something which the veteran population can struggle with.

Dialoging Resonance in Human-Chatbot Conversation: How Users Perceive and Reciprocate Recommendation Chatbot's Self-Disclosure Strategy

Using chatbots to make recommendations is increasingly popular. The design of recommendation chatbots has mainly been taking an information-centric approach by focusing on the recommended content per se. Limited attention is on how social connection and relational strategies, such as self-disclosure from a chatbot, may influence users' perception and acceptance of the recommendation. In this work, we designed, implemented, and evaluated a social chatbot capable of performing three different levels of self-disclosure: factual information (low), cognitive opinions (medium), and emotions (high). In the evaluation, we recruited 372 participants to converse with the chatbot on two topics: movies and COVID-19 experiences. In each topic, the chatbot conducted small talks and made relevant recommendations to the topic. Participants were randomly assigned to four experimental conditions where the chatbot used factual, cognitive, emotional, and adaptive strategies to perform self-disclosures. By training a text classifier to identify users' level of self-disclosure in real-time, the adaptive chatbot can dynamically match its self-disclosure language to the level of disclosure exhibited by the users. Our results show that users reciprocate with higher-level self-disclosure when a recommendation chatbot displays emotions throughout the conversation. The utilization of emotional disclosure by the chatbot resulted in enhanced enjoyment during interactions and a more favorable perception of the bot. This, in turn, led to greater effectiveness in making recommendations, including a higher likelihood of accepting the recommendation. We discuss the understandings obtained and implications to future design.

Beyond the shadows of trauma: exploring the synergy of emotional intelligence and distress disclosure in Nigerian adolescents’ trauma journey

Although adolescence is a critical period marked by increased vulnerability to trauma, the mechanisms underlying how adolescents cope with such experiences remain underexplored. This study is anchored in Hobfoll’s conservation of resources theory and Porges’ polyvagal theory, which together suggest that emotional intelligence and distress disclosure are critical resources for adolescents coping with trauma and investigated the interplay of distress disclosure in the relationship between emotional intelligence and trauma among secondary school adolescents. A three-wave longitudinal study was conducted with 491 adolescents enrolled in public secondary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria, selected using a two-stage cluster sampling technique. Emotional intelligence, distress disclosure, and trauma symptoms were assessed using the Trait Emotional Intelligence Scale, Distress Disclosure Index, and Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and mediation analysis were employed. The results indicated significant negative relationships between emotional intelligence, distress disclosure, and adolescent trauma. Furthermore, the mediation analysis revealed that distress disclosure partially mediated the relationship between the latter two. These findings have practical implications for designing interventions and support systems that foster emotional intelligence and promote distress disclosure among Nigerian adolescents and others exposed to trauma. Future research should explore additional protective factors to enhance the robustness and generalisability of the findings.

Exploring the effects of written emotional disclosures (WED) on healthcare workers' (HCWs) mental health symptoms in the UK: A feasibility study

AbstractBackgroundWritten emotional disclosure (WED) is a creative writing intervention that allows a person to confront emotions and traumatic experiences, which has been shown to produce well‐being benefits and could be used to support healthcare workers (HCWs). Written emotional disclosure is usually delivered as a written intervention, and despite some research exploring the effects of other forms of typing interventions using emotional expression, expressive writing and structured writing, the efficacy of WED as a typing‐based intervention is yet to be examined.AimThe aim of this mixed method feasibility study was to address whether a writing or typing WED intervention would reduce HCW's mental health symptoms. Additionally, to address whether the WED intervention groups were acceptable to HCW as a supportive intervention.FindingsFifty‐five participants (seven males) aged between 22 and 60 took part in this study. The results demonstrate that both the writing and typing WED intervention groups significantly reduce mental health symptoms. Most participants (96.4%) deemed both the WED intervention groups acceptable.ConclusionTherefore, WED interventions could potentially be integrated into existing counselling and therapeutic interventions to support HCW and could be implemented within the existing debrief and clinical supervision frameworks.

The effects of different themes of self-disclosure on health outcomes in cancer patients-A meta-analysis.

Self-disclosure (SD) is a common psychological intervention that involves expressing the patient's feelings and thoughts. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of different themes of SD on cancer patients. We searched eight databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library Trials, Web of Science, CINAHL, Medline, EMBASE, CNKI and Wanfang from inception to July 2022. Other sources included clinical data registers. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. RevMan Analysis software 5.3 was used for data analysis. The protocol of this meta-analysis has been registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022339661). Twenty-two RCTs studies were included. The pooled results demonstrated that self-regulation self-disclosure (SRD) had significant effects on patients' sleep quality, benefit-finding, anxiety and quality of life (QOL), whereas emotional disclosure (ED) did not. Furthermore, enhanced self-regulation self-disclosure (ESRD) or cancer-related self-disclosure (CD) significantly improved patients' QOL, although health education self-disclosure (HED) and positive self-disclosure (PD) did not. Our study suggests that different themes of SD have varied effects on patients, but it remains unclear which themes to use at what point in time. Future research should investigate what themes of SD are adopted at different points in time and the duration of different periods.

Emojifying chatbot interactions: An exploration of emoji utilization in human-chatbot communications

The prevalence of chatbots in human–computer communication has significantly increased. Emojis, as a form of emotional disclosure, have gained significant attention for their potential to boost chatbot service satisfaction. However, how and when emoji usage can increase satisfaction toward chatbots is not fully examined. This paper aims to fill this gap and contribute to the rapidly evolving field of human-chatbot communication research. Through three experiments, this paper investigates and explores the role of emojis in enhancing chatbot interactions. The results reveal that emojis heighten chatbot's perceived warmth but do not necessarily augment their competence. This warmth promoting effect leads to boosted service satisfaction and is more apparent when chatbots serve hedonic purposes and are pre-programmed rather than highly autonomous. However, the warmth upshot of emojis is not as potent for chatbots as it is for humans. While this study unravels the intricate pathway of how emojis augment service satisfaction, it also extends the dialogue of the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and propels the new wave of the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm. Thus, this research lays down pathways for further studies in understanding the role of emotionally simulated interactions in automated technologies.

Spouses’ coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: is there a difference between male and female attitudes?

ABSTRACT This descriptive study was conducted to determine the stress-coping status of spouses and the difference between male and female attitudes during the pandemic period. We collected data with the Personal Information Form and the Scale for Coping with Family Stressors from 533 participants. The mean age of women and men was 36.04 ± 10.04 and 37.13 ± 11.56, respectively. A significant difference in verbalizing with others, work – family segmentation, cognitive restructuring, changing behaviors, emotional disclosure, exercise, and spending more time with family was found between women and men (p < .05). A significant difference was also observed in coping mechanisms with family stressors between women and men, and thus, gender affects their coping attitudes. During crises such as pandemics, the community should be aware of the availability of mental health professionals, and spouses should also use effective coping methods with family stress at regular intervals.

Longitudinal Associations Between Pet Relationship Quality and Socio-Emotional Functioning in Early Adolescence.

Adolescence is a key developmental period for socio-emotional skills, and companion animal relationships may be one potential source of emotional support and resilience during this time. This study used longitudinal data from 940 pet-owning adolescents, collected over four time points, from youth in the Northeastern United States. We assessed whether pet relationship quality (indexed by relationship satisfaction, companionship, and emotional disclosure) predicted trajectories of loneliness, social anxiety, and depression. Results indicated that high satisfaction with a pet relationship was associated with more favorable trajectories, but companionship (i.e., regarding frequency of interacting with the pet) was not related significantly to socio-emotional functioning. High levels of disclosure to a pet were linked with less favorable trajectories for loneliness and depression, but not related to social anxiety. These results suggest that a pet relationship can, in some cases, be associated positively with socio-emotional development, but that there is significant complexity in these associations. Families, educators, and practitioners should take a nuanced approach to understanding individual adolescent-pet relationships as a contextual asset for specific youth.

Mutual communication processes within Chinese colorectal cancer patient-spousal caregiver dyads: A qualitative study of taking gender into account

PurposeMutual communication within cancer couples is a complex process. More research is needed to explore the complex process of mutual communication and its nuances presented by various factors in different culture contexts. Gender, a factor embedded in marital relationships, is an important consideration. We thus aim to explore the mutual communication process within Chinese colorectal cancer couples and take gender into account. MethodsA qualitative study was conducted by interviewing 20 colorectal cancer patients and 15 spousal caregivers. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts. ResultsThree themes (mutual communication and support interaction, communication quality, and foundation of mutual communication and collaboration) were developed. Gender was found to have specific impact on emotional disclosure and communication challenges. A preliminary framework of “smile” was constructed to demonstrate the relationship among the three themes and the relationships between the three themes and dyads’ psychosocial adaptation to colorectal cancer. ConclusionsStudy findings demonstrate complex mutual communication processes within colorectal cancer couples and the impact of gender. The findings will contribute to developing more effective colorectal cancer couple-based mutual communication interventions. Health practitioners are suggested to improve mutual communication within colorectal cancer couples in three aspects: relational topics, emotional disclosure and communication skills. Guiding couples to deal with each theme and the relationship among the themes simultaneously is helpful for them to return and smile to their normal life.

A 4-session written emotional disclosure intervention lowers 6-month sympathoadrenal urinary output in persons living with HIV

ObjectiveWe previously reported that a brief guided written emotional disclosure (WED) intervention resulted in significant reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology in women, but not men, living with HIV. Levels of 24-hour urinary output of epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) are shown to be elevated in persons diagnosed with PTSD. The current study tested whether there was an effect for the 4-week WED intervention on 6-month change in urinary E and NE output amongst persons living with HIV. MethodFourteen women and 11 men living with HIV randomized to four 30-min expressive writing sessions of either trauma writing or daily events writing in the parent trial were included based upon collection of urine specimens at baseline, 1-, and 6-months after the intervention. Total volume (µg) and concentration (µg/ml) of urinary E and NE were derived from the specimens as study outcomes. ResultsFour repeated measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to evaluate study outcomes using trauma- versus daily-writing as the between-subject factors and collection time point as the within-subject factor, controlling for age and sex. A group x time interaction was observed wherein the trauma writing treatment group showed a significantly greater decrease in total urinary output, F(2, 46) = 4.03, p = .03, and concentration, F(2, 46) = 4.74, p = .01 of epinepherine. Post-hoc analyses revealed the interaction effect for the total, F(2, 22) = 4.82, p = .03, and concentration, F(2, 22) = 7.57, p = .005, of urinary E output over 6-months was significant for women. Interactions were not observed in urinary NE output. ConclusionsSignificant reductions in the total output and concentration of urinary E were found up to 6-months following initiation of a 4-session guided written emotional disclosure intervention. Profiles of sympathoadrenal activity and response to expressive writing differ between men and women living with HIV. Futher research is need to characterize the putative pathways linking sympathoadrenal response to upstream neurobiological function and downstream inflammatory-immune status in women living with HIV and PTSD.

Expressive writing as a practice against work stress: A literature review

Expressive writing is a well-structured written emotional disclosure intervention for processing stressful experiences. Despite its origins in clinical psychology, studies with occupational samples show positive effects on personal resources and well-being. According to the PRISMA guidelines (Moher et al., 2009), a systematic literature review was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, Business Source Ultimate, and PsycINFO. Thirteen studies were conclusively reviewed. Nine showed significant positive effects on mental health variables (e.g., depressive symptoms), personal resources (e.g., self-efficacy), or organizational variables (e.g., job satisfaction). Based on this, we examined the implementation protocols used, sought to identify critical factors for the effectiveness in an occupational context, and derived a recommendation for evidence-based implementation conditions. Participants benefit from writing four times over a 20-minute period in which they are guided by written instructions to engage with a stressful work-specific experience cognitively and emotionally. However, the effectiveness varies for different groups, especially regarding baseline stress. Expressive writing had a more beneficial effect on individuals with lower resources and higher stress levels. Practical use cases in occupational health and human resource management are discussed. The results are limited in the restricted choice of databases and search terms and the ambiguous definition of the evaluation criteria.

Self-Reflection, Emotional Self Disclosure, and Posttraumatic Growth in Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in South Korea.

During the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, several studies were conducted on mental health among various populations; however, only a few studies have focused on post-traumatic growth (PTG) in nursing students. By understanding the PTG involved in coping with emotionally challenging situations, educators, and institutions can prepare nursing students to navigate the demands of their profession and ultimately provide more empathetic and effective patient care. This study aimed to explore whether self-reflection and emotional self-disclosure are associated with PTG. A total of 195 nursing students completed the self-report questionnaire. This study used standardized instruments, including the self-reflection scale, emotional self-disclosure, and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and hierarchical regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. The factors influencing PTG included self-reflection (β = 0.36; p < 0.001), emotional self-disclosure (β = 0.24; p < 0.001), grade (β = -0.18; p = 0.008), and religion (β = -0.15; p = 0.013). The explanatory power of these four factors was 31.4%, and self-reflection was found to have the greatest influence on PTG. The results indicated the need for self-reflection and emotional self-disclosure promotion programs to improve PTG, especially for senior and non-religious students.