Your friend Rima has been hiding her unhappiness at school from her mother for several months. As time goes on, Rima is only feeling increasingly depressed and lethargic. Using your knowledge of the reasons for revealing and concealing personal information, provide Rima with a summary of the pros and cons of revealing her unhappiness to her mother.

What will be an ideal response?

There are several benefits to self-disclosure that Rima might enjoy, such as increased psychological and physical health. Disclosing her feelings to her mother might make her less depressed and lethargic. It might also help her gain greater self-awareness; perhaps by talking about her unhappiness at school, she might come to understand what she would prefer to do instead. However, telling her mother also has risks associated with it, such as greater conflict and stress. She might also be risking her individuality if her mother insists that she stay in school.