Last update:
   18-Feb-2025
 

Arch Hellen Med, 42(2), March-April 2025, 243-250

ORIGINAL PAPER

The relationship between secrets, psychopathology, and shame in individuals who maintain and keep secrets

S. Kotrotsiou,1 C. Barmpouta,2 D. Theofanidis,3 T. Paralikas,4 A. Argyriadis,5 N. Bakalis,1 M. Gouva6
1Department of Nursing, University of Patras, Patras,
2MSc "Mental health", University of Thessaly, Larissa,
3Department of Nursing, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki,
4Department of Nursing, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece,
5Department of Nursing, Frederick University, Nicosia, Cyprus,
6Department of Nursing, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece

OBJECTIVE The investigation of the relationship between secrets, psychopathology, and shame in individuals who maintain and keep secrets.

METHOD The sample of this study included individuals from the general population in Greece, aged 18–65. The research tools used were: (a) the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), (b) the External Shame Scale (Other as Shamer Scale, OAS), (c) The Experience of Shame Scale (ESS), and a datasheet on socio-demographic data.

RESULTS From the study results, it was found that individuals self-identified as secret-keepers exhibit statistically higher mean values than those who identified as non-secret-keepers, in external and internal shame, particularly in the subscales of bodily shame (p=0.028), feelings of inferiority (p=0.043), obsessive thoughts (p=0.029), paranoid ideation (p=0.007), and psychoticism (p=0.030).

CONCLUSIONS Based on the study results, it is evident that individuals self-identified as mystic-pathological exhibit statistically significant increases in various psychopathological characteristics compared to those who self-identify as non-mystic-pathological.

Key words: External-internal shame, Psychopathology, Secrecy, Secrets.

© Archives of Hellenic Medicine