Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2023
Keywords
Approach-avoidance beliefs, college students, concealable stigmatized identities, self-disclosure, stigma
Abstract
Many college students identify having a mental health condition, yet students may be ambivalent about self-disclosing their mental health. While stigma and self-disclosure have been examined in research, personal factors may also impact self-disclosure behaviors. The present study examined 150 U.S. college students with a self-identified mental health condition. Research aimed to predict classmate self-disclosure by stigma, avoidance beliefs, and the interaction of these variables. Multiple regression analysis found a significant interaction effect, whereby stigma was negatively associated with self-disclosure only under conditions of low avoidance. Implications suggest that self-disclosure interventions target stigma and avoidance beliefs to encourage greater self-disclosure.
Funding Source
This article was published Open Access thanks to a transformative agreement between Milner Library and Taylor & Francis.
Recommended Citation
Gjesfjeld, Christopher and Kahn, Jeffrey, "Self-disclosure of mental illness in the college classroom: the role of stigma and avoidance" (2023). Faculty Publications - Social Work. 29.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/fpswk/29
Comments
This article was published in Social Work in Mental Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2023.2239411.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).