Most teens have secrets, but the ones who don’t keep those secrets entirely to themselves tend to be happier and healthier than their more mystery-laden peers. According to a Dutch study of youth between the ages of 14 and 19, 79 percent of teens have a secret—either one they keep to themselves or share with others. Girls are more prone to harbor secrets than boys. They’re more likely to share them, as well, with more than four-fifths of them having confided in a best friend, parent or teacher. Those who kept their secrets all to themselves were more likely to have trouble in a variety of areas from breaking rules and having trouble with friends at school to having some acute physical symptoms such as headaches and stomachaches. Researchers believe sharing secrets may help in a variety of ways from the classic unburdening of one’s soul to forging stronger ties with friends, but they caution more may be at play here: It’s possible that shared secrets are less psychologically burdensome than secrets that teens choose to keep to themselves. (Wall Street Journal)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.