Disclosure and nondisclosure of suicidality to romantic partners: Understanding the decision-making process

Abstract

The stigmatization of suicidal thoughts and behaviors often prevents disclosure to others, including romantic partners. Minimal research has examined the disclosure or withholding of this stigmatized identity, resulting in a lack of knowledge about the benefits or consequences of informing others. Participants ( n = 61) were recruited from Reddit and completed open-ended questions about their prior suicidal ideation and behaviors while in a romantic relationship. Responses were separated by disclosers ( n = 31) and non-disclosers ( n = 30) to romantic partners. After utilizing a thematic analysis, the Disclosure Decision-Making Model (DD-MM) was applied to the results to make sense of decision-making processes. The three primary themes (assessing information, assessing emotional capacity, and assessing the receiver) provide insight into the psychological and communicative progression as well as the differences that arise for each individual. Findings discuss theoretical adaptations, implications, and future directions.