Looking after your pearls: the dilemmas of mental health self‐disclosure in higher education teaching
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17556221111194545 |
| Published date | 09 December 2011 |
| Date | 09 December 2011 |
| Pages | 203-210 |
| Author | Matthew Gough |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Looking after your pearls: the dilemmas
of mental health self-disclosure in higher
education teaching
Matthew Gough
Abstract
Purpose – There are several tensions in the disclosure of personal experience of mental health
problems. The issue of ‘‘otherness’’ is particularly pertinent when exploring mental health. This paper
seeks to draw upon workshop discussion around the theme of educators disclosing personal
experience of mental health problems.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based around a critically reflective self-selecting
conference workshop for mental health educators, practitioners and others.
Findings – There are risks and benefits to personal disclosure of lived experience of mental health
problems. It was found that three areas emerged when considering the dilemmas of self-disclosure:
personal impact, wider ethical issues and student learning.
Practical implications – The paper provides information on how educators can maximise the benefits
and minimise the hazards associated within these areas as a means to develop good practice guidance
and when and how to disclose personal experience.
Originality/value – The paper finds its value in the inclusion of recognised lived experience of mental
health problems amongst educators and the tensions apparent with disclosure about such experiences.
Keywords Mental health, Self disclosure, Higher education, Lived experience, Post experience learning
Paper type Research paper
I don’t talk about being gay
I don’t talk about my faith
I don’t talk about my Marxism
It’s not about me (Quotes from participants in the ‘‘That’s Too Much Personal Information’’
workshop discussed in this paper).
Introduction
An awareness of self, the ability to self-reflect and the importance of openness and honesty
are recognised as vital to health and social care teaching and practice (Reupert, 2009).
Sharing of personal experiences is important to aid human communication of meaning and
context (Geldard and Geldard, 2009). Such meaning can be invaluable in an educational
environment as per how people learn (Biggs and Tang, 2007). However, it is recognised that
it can be ‘‘dangerous’’ to disclose information about personal experiences of mental health
problems due to the related stigma and discrimination which can be evident within the
culture of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs); (Bassett et al., 2006, p. 395).
HEIs do not function in a vacuum and institutions tend to reflect the prejudices and
discrimination apparent in the society in which they operate (Cree, 2010). There can
be seen to be an established and growing perception of people with mental health
problems to be alien and ‘‘other’’ (Beresford and Wilson, 2002). Warner and Gabe (2004)
discuss the heightened sense of risk and perceptions of dangerousness associated with
people with mental health problems because of social exclusion based upon an engrained
DOI 10.1108/17556221111194545 VOL. 6 NO. 4 2011, pp.203 -210, QEmerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
j
THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATIONAND PRACTICE
j
PAGE 203
Matthew Gough is a Senior
Lecturer in the School of
Social Sciences,
Nottingham Trent
University, Nottingham, UK.
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