Revealing Mental Health Information in Friendships

The Role of Disclosure Strategy and Perceived Recipient Response on Disclosure Outcomes

Bibliographic Data

ID21617034
AuthorsSkye Chernichky‐karcher (0000-0002-2393-5824, Department of Communication Studies, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, corresponding author), Maria K Venetis (0000-0002-6710-1776, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey), Patricia E Gettings (0000-0002-9276-0423, Department of Communication, University at Albany, SUNY)
Year2022
Volume37
Issue7
Pages909-918
Publication date2022-06-07
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1041-0236 • E-ISSN: 1532-7027
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10410236.2021.1876325
PMID33557635
OpenAlexW3128182966
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited33

Processes of revealing, or disclosures, take various forms, and are sometimes referred to as disclosure strategies. How individuals share information influences how recipients respond, which may have important consequences that shape perceptions of the overall interaction and relationship satisfaction. This research explores mental health disclosures among friends to understand how (a) one's disclosure strategy predicts their perceptions of the recipient response, (b) perceived recipient response predicts perceptions of disclosure outcomes, and (c) perceived recipient response potentially mediates the relationships between disclosure strategies and disclosure outcomes (e.g., interaction success, relationship satisfaction). Participants were 144 individuals who had disclosed their mental health condition to a friend. Analyses revealed that when disclosing mental health information to a friend, strategy use was, in part, predictive of perceived recipient response which, in turn, predicted discloser's ratings of disclosure outcomes. This manuscript discusses implications of findings and suggests directions for future research

Full disclosure · Health care · Health information · Mental health · Perception · Psychiatry · Self-disclosure · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Psychology · Social Psychology

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