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

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, but are 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.

Citation

Buchholz, B., Aylward, S., McKenzie, S. and Corrigan, P. (2015), "Should youth disclose their mental health challenges? Perspectives from students, parents, and school professionals", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 159-168. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-03-2015-0008