“Just Listen … Really Listen”: Expectations of Youth When Disclosing Mental Health Concerns with Parents

Abstract

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are developmental periods characterized by increased prevalence of mental health (MH) issues. Disclosure of MH issues to parents or other adults is important for youth to gain support and access professional MH care, but many youth do not disclose MH issues due to a myriad of reasons. In this study, we conducted five focus groups (N = 33) with adolescents and emerging adults to better understand their perceptions of disclosing MH issues to their parents. We used reflexive thematic analysis to identify factors that facilitate MH disclosure to parents and improve the process of discussing concerns. Our analysis identified six themes which include relational assessment, barriers to disclosure, MH literacy, disclosure anxiety, boundaries and communication, and access to services. Our findings are discussed in the context of disclosure decision-making models and how professionals can equip parents to create a parent–child relationship conducive to MH disclosure.