A Qualitative Study Of The Disclosure Process In College Students With Depression

Depression is a common mental illness and it is also it is also one of the leading causes of disability and illness throughout the world.However,because of a number of factors,such as the stigma attached to mental illness,depression is not openly discussed.Therefore,for patients who have been diagnosed with depression,whether to disclose their disease or not is a major decision for them,and the disclosure process of their disease is only known to them.However,most of the existing researches focus on the coming out of homosexuality,self-disclosure of AIDS patients,self-disclosure of victims of child sexual assault,self-disclosure of suicide attempts and other aspects.There is a paucity of research on disclosure processes in people with depression.Therefore,this study aims to explore the specific decision-making process of disease disclosure and its influencing factors in patients with depression,so as to lay a foundation for the implementation of targeted interventions in the future.In this study,9 college students with depression were selected as samples for the purpose of sampling.The researchers obtained audio materials through interviews with them,and then used narrative analysis method to analyze the materials.Conclusion:(1)College students with depression experience six stages from illness onset to disease disclosure:the stage of problem perception(?),the stage of problem processing(?),the stage of self digestion(?),the stage of external-disclosure(?),the stage of external feedback(?)and the stage of self-adjustment(?);(2)The stage of problem perception(?)includes three stages:the stage of suffering from stress,the stage of symptom manifestation and the stage of problem perception;(3)The stage of problem processing(?)mainly includes the cycle of self-help behavior and help-seeking behavior.The end of this stage is the diagnosis of depression through professional help;(4)In the stage of self-digestion(?),the results of individual digestion mainly include "acceptance" and "retention ";(5)In the stage of external-disclosure(IV),the subjects of disclosure mainly include family members,friends,roommates,lovers,counselors and strangers.The disclosure motivation of individuals includes obtaining emotional support,obtaining behavioral support,facing the self and others honestly,testing the external attitude,explaining the reasons to reduce the influence on others,self-handicapping.The conditions for disclosure include the other party has relevant knowledge of depression,has the right attitude towards patients with depression,can provide effective help,convenience and has strong interpersonal relationship.The ways of disclosure include active disclosure passive disclosure;(6)In the stage of external feedback(?),the respondents received mainly positive feedback(denial,secondary injury,discouragement)and negative feedback(normal treatment,social support);(7)In the stage of self-adjustment(?),when receiving negative feedback,interviewees will narrow the disclosure scope,choose the disclosure object again,disclose selectively,disclose gradually and authorize others to disclose.When receiving positive feedback,interviewees will expand the scope of disclosure,determine the object of disclosure and strengthen the behavior of asking for help;(8)The stage of external-disclosure(?),the stage of external feedback(?)and the stage of self-adjustment(?)form a closed loop.Finally,the limitations of the present research were discussed;the future directions,theoretical implications and practical value of this paper were provided.