a Department of Psychiatry II , Ulm University and BKH Günzburg , Ulm , Germany.
b Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , University Hospital Ulm , Ulm , Germany.
J Ment Health. 2019 Jun;28(3):296-303. doi: 10.1080/09638237.2018.1487535. Epub 2018 Dec 29.
Many adolescents with mental illness (MI) struggle with the decision whether to disclose their condition. They may decide to keep their MI secret, whether due to fear of public stigma or due to self-stigma and shame. Secrecy may protect against discrimination, but has often negative long-term consequences such as social isolation.
To explore personal views of adolescents with MI on secrecy and disclosure of their MI.
Six focus groups consisting of 39 adolescents with MI were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by qualitative content analysis to identify major themes deductively and inductively.
Participants described MI as a stigmatized condition and stressed both the benefits and risks of secrecy. Disadvantages included fear of stigma and loss of friendships, benefits included emotional support and relief. Adolescents underlined the importance of individual disclosure decisions (DDs). The majority preferred selective disclosure. Additionally, the role of other adolescents with and without MI was emphasized.
DDs are individual and depend on social factors since stigma and fear of discrimination remain significant concerns for adolescents with MI. Implications for future interventions to support adolescents with MI are discussed.
许多患有精神疾病（MI）的青少年在是否透露自己的病情方面犹豫不决。他们可能会选择隐瞒自己的 MI，这可能是因为害怕公众的污名化，也可能是因为自我污名化和羞耻感。隐瞒可能会防止歧视，但往往会带来负面的长期后果，如社会孤立。
探讨患有 MI 的青少年对隐瞒和透露 MI 的个人看法。
对 6 个由 39 名患有 MI 的青少年组成的焦点小组进行了录音、转录，并进行了定性内容分析，以演绎和归纳的方式确定主要主题。
参与者将 MI 描述为一种污名化的状况，并强调了隐瞒的好处和风险。缺点包括对污名和失去友谊的恐惧，好处包括情感支持和缓解。青少年强调了个人披露决定（DD）的重要性。大多数人更喜欢选择性披露。此外，还强调了其他有和没有 MI 的青少年的作用。
DD 是个人的，取决于社会因素，因为对患有 MI 的青少年来说，污名化和对歧视的恐惧仍然是一个重大问题。讨论了支持患有 MI 的青少年的未来干预措施的意义。
