The emotional context of disclosing a concealable stigmatized identity: A conceptual model

[Disclosure of Own Crisis And Treatment Experiences By Staff Of Psychiatric Institutions In BerLin And Brandenburg - An Underused Resource For Reducing Stigma?]

AIM

This article is part of the EKB-study which explores lived crisis and treatment experiences of mental health professionals in Berlin and Brandenburg. It addresses the disclosure of mental health workers' lived experiences in their workplace.

METHOD

An online survey was conducted among 182 mental health professionals, containing questions on disclosure of lived experiences. Data were analyzed descriptively and analytically.

RESULTS

Participants reported disclosure mainly to supervisors and affiliated colleagues. Experiences were mostly positive, with severe negative exceptions. Central motives against disclosure were fear of vulnerability, fear of compromising professional identity, and shame.

CONCLUSIONS

Disclosure of lived crisis experiences is not always the proper strategy for mental health professionals. Disclosure may be a means of reducing public and internalized stigma.

Masquerading their way to authenticity: Does age stigma concealment benefit older women?

As women age they can be subject to both sexism and ageism, and consequently be stereotyped as low in competence and irrelevant despite having a relatively young subjective age. Drawing on theories of stigma, we conducted a survey study of older women (N = 184) with a strong interest in fashion and their visual image. We used template thematic analysis to understand their experiences in relation to their age-changed appearance. Two major themes were identified: unfavourable experiences of ageism and efforts to evade these experiences through attention to appearance. Our participants employed masquerade to conceal or reduce the visible evidence of their age-both to avoid ageism and to align their outward appearance more closely with their inner, felt, authentic selves. We interrogate the benefits and penalties of concealment for a group whose stigmatised condition is dynamic, changing as their appearance grows increasingly dissimilar to societally favoured youthfulness. Masquerade may for this group of women produce more positive than negative outcomes, via effects on felt authenticity.

Disclosure dilemmas: how people with a mental health condition perceive and manage disclosure at work

PURPOSE

Little research has explored the process of disclosure decision-making from antecedents to outcomes. This paper presents a model of decision-making about disclosure of a mental health condition to the immediate supervisor in the workplace shortly after starting a new job.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive design was employed to explore participants' experiences of the disclosure decision-making process, the disclosure event itself (if applicable), and their perceptions of the impact of the decision on personal, interpersonal, and organizational outcomes. The transcripts were coded and analyzed using directed content analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight participants were purposively selected to represent different disclosure decisions, sex, diagnoses, and maintenance of employment. Analysis identified goals and conditions/context were important antecedents for the disclosure decision. All participants discussed concerns about prejudice and discrimination if they disclosed, and, for those who chose to disclose, high stress and anxiety were described during the disclosure event; however, supervisor reactions were generally described as positive.

CONCLUSIONS

Regardless of the disclosure strategy adopted, participants reported that their disclosure decision helped to support their self-acceptance and recovery. For those who disclosed, most perceived a positive response by their supervisor. However, the pervasive concerns of prejudice indicate there is still much work to be done.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONDecision-making about disclosure of a mental health condition to the immediate supervisor in the workplace is a complex process.Disclosure goals, the relationship with the supervisor and the workplace context are important antecedents to the disclosure decision.Careful consideration should be given to the planning of disclosure, particularly related to what information will be shared, how it will be shared, and an appropriate level of emotional content to enhance the likelihood of a positive response from the supervisor.Disclosure planning should take the supervisor's style and organizational norms into account.

Disclosure Style and Response Engagement During Disclosures of Concealable Stigmatized Identities

Supportive disclosure experiences benefit the well-being of those with concealable stigmatized identities (CSIs). The present research examines relationships between discloser’s disclosure directness, recipient’s response engagement, feelings of identity support, and disclosure response satisfaction. Across several correlational and experimental studies, direct disclosures (i.e., those referencing the CSI more explicitly) were met with more engaged recipient responses (e.g., verbal discussion of CSIs). Moreover, more engaged recipient responses were evaluated by disclosers as more supportive/validating and satisfying. To isolate the effects of disclosure directness, we explored and controlled for other disclosure factors including closeness to recipient and discloser outness. This work fills a current literature gap regarding how disclosure and response styles may promote positive disclosure experiences for those with varied CSIs.