Mothers' Decisions to Disclose or Conceal Their Child's Mental Health Disorder

Bibliographic Data

ID4615166
AuthorsKim Eaton (0000-0002-4447-4975, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia, corresponding author), Jeneva L Ohan (0000-0002-4801-4239, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia), Werner G K Stritzke (University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia), Hannah M Courtauld (University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia), Patrick W Corrigan (0000-0001-7405-4173, National Consortium on Stigma and Empowerment, Chicago, Illinois, USA)
Year2017
Volume27
Issue11
Pages1628-1639
Publication date2017-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1049732317697096
PMID28799479
OpenAlexW2597718701
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited62

Parents of children with mental health disorders are often faced with the dilemma of disclosing or concealing their child's disorder. These decisions have important implications for both child and parent. Our aim is to describe mothers' experiences with the disclosure dilemma; specifically, we describe what is disclosed (or concealed), how, and why, as well as the consequences of these decisions. Data from interviews with 11 mothers of children (aged 5-13 years) with mental health disorders, and a participatory action research group (four mothers) were thematically analyzed. Mothers selectively disclosed (and concealed) to protect and advocate for their child. Their decisions were often influenced by, or were a reactance to, others' opinions, with mothers not only avoiding, but also defending against stigma, and exercising their right to privacy. Despite anticipating negative feedback, mothers more often experienced empathy and support following disclosure. Recommendations are made for developing mothers' confidence in disclosing

Mental health · Psychiatry · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Ethics and Legal Issues in Pediatric Healthcare · Psychology