Family Disclosure of Adverse Childhood Experiences: Motivations, Tendencies, Communication Accommodation, and Adult Well-Being

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study contributes to family communication research by examining disclosure motivations, disclosure tendencies, (over)accommodation in everyday talk, and mental and physical well-being among adults with reported adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Drawing on social penetration theory (SPT) and communication accommodation theory (CAT), trauma disclosure is conceptualized as an interactional process embedded within family communication contexts. 150 U.S. adults completed an anonymous survey. Results indicated that disclosure motivations were differentially associated with disclosure tendencies. Disclosure extent and disclosure difficulty were most consistently associated with health outcomes, such that greater extent and difficulty were linked to higher anxiety and depression and poorer physical health. Mediation analyses indicated that perceptions of family members’ perceived overaccommodation in everyday talk indirectly shaped disclosure processes through distinct motivational pathways involving urge and reluctance to disclose. Overall, the findings highlight the complexity of trauma disclosure in families and offer implications for trauma-informed disclosure and responses to ACEs.