College Student Concealment and Disclosure of Mental Health Issues in the Classroom: Students’ Perceptions of Risk and Use of Contextual Criteria

Abstract

ABSTRACT Through an application of Communication Privacy Management Theory, this study examines students’ perceptions of risk and the criteria that influence student decisions to conceal or disclose mental health conditions to their college instructors. Participants included 228 college students who self-identified as struggling with depression or another mental health condition. The findings of the study indicate that the contextual criteria important reason is a significant predictor of student intention to disclose a mental health issue to instructors. In addition, students who had previously reported a mental health condition to an instructor perceived disclosure to be a higher risk than those who had never previously shared their mental health condition with an instructor. Implications of student disclosures of mental health conditions in the classroom and the impact of concealment or disclosure on student-instructor relationships are also discussed.