Should youth disclose their mental health challenges? Perspectives from students, parents, and school professionals

Published date21 September 2015
Date21 September 2015
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-03-2015-0008
Pages159-168
AuthorBlythe Buchholz,Stephanie Aylward,Sue McKenzie,Patrick Corrigan
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Mental health,Public mental health
Should youth disclose their mental health
challenges? Perspectives from students,
parents, and school professionals
Blythe Buchholz, Stephanie Aylward, Sue McKenzie and Patrick Corrigan
Blythe Buchholz and
Stephanie Aylward, both are
based at the Department of
Psychology, Illinois Institute
of Technology, Chicago,
Illinois, USA.
Sue McKenzie is based at
Rogers InHealth, Rogers
Behavioral Health System,
Wisconsin, USA.
Dr Patrick Corrigan is based at
the Department of Psychology,
Illinois Institute of Technology,
Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract
Purpose Disclosure seems to be a useful strategy for adults to deal with both the public and self-stigma
of mental illness. However, youth may face a different set of risks when coming out with their experiences.
The purpose of this paper is to examine youth, parent, and teacher perspectives on the costs and benefits of
disclosure by middle- and high school-aged youth to better understand these risks.
Design/methodology/approach Focus groups were conducted with questions framed to elicit the
different ways mental health challenges are discussed in schools and families.
Findings Surprisingly, the benefits of disclosure seemed to far outweigh the costs across groups. Benefits
included ways to deal with stigma, reducing isolation, and differentness,as well as the pursuit of mental
health services if needed. Costs included harsh responses to disclosure by peers and family members.
Participants shared strategies used to minimize risk, including where and with whom youth might share their
stories.
Social implications The results suggest many youth have disclosed their experiences with mental health
challenges and have received mixed responses; these reactions often serve as the barometer for future
disclosure decisions. Other youth are considering disclosure in a variety of settings, butare unsure how to go
about it safely. Implications for addressing stigma are discussed.
Originality/value To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative research study conducted with youth about
disclosure of mental illness experiences. These results will help guide modification of programming that could
be beneficial in aiding disclosure decisions and reducing disclosure-related risks for youth who come out.
Keywords Disclosure, Stigma, Mental illness, Children, Youth, Mental health challenges
Paper type Research paper
Public endorsement of prejudicial attitudes and subsequent discrimination against adults with
mental illness undermines life opportunities for these individuals, restricting work, independent
living, health, and relationship goals (Callard et al., 2012; Sartorius and Schulze, 2005). Some
people internalize these attitudes causing self-stigma, shame, and a why try effect: why try to get
a job; someone like me is not worthy of it (Livingston and Boyd, 2010). Disclosure has been
identified as a key factor in decreasing public and self-stigma of mental illness in adults. Public
stigma seems to be most effectively diminished through contact with people who disclose their
experiences of recovery from mental illness (Corrigan et al., 2012). Similarly, self-stigma seems to
be diminished for those who are outabout their experiences with mental illness. People who
have disclosed their experiences report higher personal empowerment and quality of life
(Corrigan et al., 2010). As a result, advocates and researchers believe coming out should be a
purposeful strategy to erase stigma by replacing it with affirming attitudes, like empowerment
and recovery (Corrigan et al., 2013).
Received 5 March 2015
Revised 18 June 2015
21 July 2015
Accepted 21 July 2015
DOI 10.1108/JPMH-03-2015-0008 VOL. 14 NO. 3 2015, pp. 159-168, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTALHEALTH
j
PAG E 15 9

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