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The secrets that are most taxing to one's health and well-being are those that are the most preoccupying to the secret-keeper. However, it is currently unclear what makes a secret preoccupying. We conducted a four-wave longitudinal study to assess four factors that should contribute to one's degree of preoccupation with a secret kept from one's spouse/romantic partner: perceived cost of revealing the secret, frequency of cues, fear of discovery, and individual differences in self-concealment. Multilevel modelling of data from an online sample of 143 adults (51% women, 49% men; M age  = 39.9, SD = 9.3) keeping a secret from their spouse/partner indicated that all four factors independently and positively predict greater preoccupation with a secret. Further, the first three factors also significantly predicted how preoccupied one would be with one's secret two weeks later, taking into account how preoccupied one was with the secret at present. We conclude that the characteristics of the secret, as well as the secret-keeper, can contribute to how preoccupying a secret is to an individual., (© 2021 The British Psychological Society.)

Keeping secrets from one's partner has been associated with lower well-being and relationship satisfaction. Previous research has suggested that individual differences in self-concealment account for these effects. However, we propose that the fear of discovery (FoD)-defined as the fear that one's secret may be revealed by means other than deliberate disclosure-predicts the extent to which secrets affect well-being beyond the effects attributable to individual differences. Both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal survey (combined N = 471; 54.4% female; M age = 39.5) of adults in romantic relationships confirmed that FoD predicted greater preoccupation with the secret, more negative affect, and less relationship satisfaction and commitment beyond that of self-concealment. Multilevel modeling in Study 2 indicated that changes in FoD predicted changes in preoccupation over time. The data are consistent with the notion that FoD promotes greater preoccupation, greater negative affect, and lower levels of relationship well-being.

Objective: The current study sought to examine the associations between long-term health behavior engagement within couples and to test whether perceiving support or strain from a spouse impacts one's own health behaviors. Method: Data from 5,233 couples in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were used to examine trajectories of physical activity, smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, and alcohol use over a period of up to 12 years. Dyadic multilevel models examined patterns of change in each health behavior while allowing male and female partners to covary in intercepts, slopes, and occasion-specific residuals. The influence of perceived spousal support and relationship strain on each behavior was examined, adjusting for age, health, household income, and relationship length. Results: Male and female partners reported similar initial levels of each health behavior and tended to show similar occasion-to-occasion changes as their partner. Higher spousal support predicted increased engagement in physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in men. Relationship strain appeared to be more impactful to female health behaviors, being associated with alcohol and tobacco use for female but not male partners. Conclusions: Despite romantic partners reporting similar baseline health habits, the long-term trajectories of most health behaviors were not similar for romantic partners. However, spouses did exhibit similar occasion-to-occasion variability. Spousal support and relationship strain differentially impacted men and women's health behavior engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

It is unclear how the onset of a major health condition, such as a stroke, may impact sense of purpose long-term and whether social factors influence this change. We examined changes in purpose in 716 stroke patients ( M age  = 72.09 years, 52.5% female) who participated in the Health and Retirement Study between 2006 and 2014. Multilevel growth modeling indicated that recent stroke patients' sense of purpose declined over time relative to pre-stroke purpose, whereas those suffering stroke prior to baseline demonstrated relative stability. Furthermore, social support was associated with initial levels but not change in sense of purpose.

Comments on an article by J. K. Kiecolt-Glaser (see record 2018-62311-007). Kiecolt-Glaser (2018) provided a valuable review of how negative relationship behaviors can impact immune system functioning. However, by considering how dispositional characteristics may impact the literature linking romantic relationships to immune system changes, one may take a new perspective on her review. This comment provides an overview of how individual differences in attachment may be used to predict immune system functioning, as well as the relationship behaviors that are said to initiate changes to the immune system. We conclude by outlining the ways in which Kiecolt-Glaser's review can be used to advance research examining the links between attachment and health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Several studies of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) have indicated that high levels of hope are linked with better adjustment, but none has assessed the extent to which hope predicts change in adjustment over time. This study examines the effect of hope assessed within the first months post-SCI onset on changes in several indicators of well-being just prior to release from institutional care and again 13 months post-SCI., Method: Structured interviews were conducted with 67 adults (54 men, 13 women; Mage = 44.7 years, SD = 17.2) with SCI on average 2.6 months (Time 1), 5 months (Time 2; n = 60), and 13 months post-SCI (Time 3; n = 53) using validated instruments to assess dispositional hope, depressive symptoms, subjective well-being, self-esteem, reintegration, and pain., Results: Regression analyses revealed that, of the five indicators of well-being, hope at Time 1 only significantly predicted increases in subjective well-being at Time 2. However, hope predicted increased well-being on 4 of 5 indicators at Time 3. Hope was not significantly associated with changes in self-esteem at either follow-up assessment., Conclusion: People with high levels of hope appear to be better able to adjust to the challenges faced once they leave the rehabilitation center. Psycho-educational interventions that promote agency and pathway thinking may lead to better longer-term adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).)