Student mental health self-disclosures in classrooms: Perceptions and implications

Abstract

With a move from lecture-based to interactive teaching approaches, students are encouraged in a variety of ways to share personal experiences in classroom settings. Among those self-disclosures, students may speak about their mental health concerns or diagnoses. The purpose of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of what it is like for students to listen to mental health self-disclosures in a classroom. In order to do so, undergraduate college students (N = 21) were interviewed and asked to describe their experiences, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors associated with hearing self-disclosures of mental health concerns in classrooms. A phenomenological qualitative research method was used to analyze the data. By interviewing students, it was possible to identify themes regarding their experiences, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors associated with hearing mental health self-disclosures. Study findings included themes of concern, discomfort, interest, respect, indifference, and enhanced understanding. The description of student perceptions of mental health self-disclosures will be beneficial to educators who encounter mental health self-disclosures in their classrooms. Implications for teaching are discussed.