College students' disclosure of mental health problems on campus.

To explore, in two studies, student experiences with disclosing diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health problems to faculty, staff, and peers. Participants: Participants for both studies were college students at two 4-year public universities. Study 1 was conducted in June 2016 and Study 2 in August 2017. Methods: In Study 1, participants had a formal diagnosis of a mental health condition, were registered for accommodations, and completed semi-structured interviews (n = 6). In Study 2, participants (n = 66) were mostly non-diagnosed and completed an online survey. Results: Study 1 interviews were coded for interactions with faculty (52% positive, 40% negative), staff (100% positive), and peers (31% positive, 54% negative). In Study 2, participants reported better experiences disclosing to peers than faculty. Disclosure experience varied by type of mental health problem. Conclusions: Collaboration across campus and community agencies will better support students with diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health problems.

Citation

Erin L Woodhead, Christina Chin-Newman, Kristina Spink, Marlon Hoang, Sara A Smith. College students' disclosure of mental health problems on campus. Journal of American college health : J of ACH. 2021 Oct;69(7):734-741

PMID: 31944929

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