Mental illness self-disclosure among college students: a pre-requisite of social support or a booster of social support benefits?

Abstract

Background

Self-disclosing a concealable stigmatized identity (CSI) such as mental illness is generally associated with enhanced psychological well-being. Research also supports the link between social support and psychological well-being. Yet, few theoretical explanations exist for the role that mental illness disclosure plays in the association between social support PWB.

Aims

To test two competing models linking self-disclosure to psychological well-being: a mediator model in which self-disclosure indirectly contributes to psychological well-being via social support quality (i.e., self-disclosure is a pre-requisite of social support), and a moderator model in which self-disclosure enhances social support benefits (i.e., self-disclosure is a “booster” of social support benefits).

Method

College students (N = 174) who identified as being diagnosed with a mental illness completed an online survey.

Results

Structural equation modeling results largely supported both the mediator and the moderator models; however, which model statistically outperformed the other depended on the confidant (e.g., mother, friends).

Conclusions

These findings suggest the validity of conceptualizing social support as both pre-requisite of social support and the “booster” of social support benefit on psychological well-being.

Keywords:

• Self-disclosure
• mental illness
• concealable stigma
• social support
• psychological well-being

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Mental illness self-disclosure

A Pre-requisite of Social Support or a Booster of Social Support Benefits?

Notes

1 More detailed information about the results of the measurement model (e.g., factor-loadings) and the interaction effects for each confidant are available upon request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Emiko Taniguchi

Emiko Taniguchi (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communicology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Charee M. Thompson (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Charee M. Thompson

Emiko Taniguchi (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communicology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa; Charee M. Thompson (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.