Accessibility and Self-disclosure of the Journey Through Mental Health: Youth Sharing Their Lived

132 Pages·2017·1.39 MB·English

Western University
Abstract
Using the lived experiences of youth in Southwestern Ontario, the current project
explores the decision of youth to self-disclose their status of mental illness and disability. To
explore the process of disclosure, three research questions were asked: (1) what are the youth’s
expectations of disclosing their story to others; (2) what is the experience of youth with mental
illness and disabilities in choosing to disclose their story to others?; and (3) what is important to
youth about the decision to disclose or choosing to make their experiences public? Participant’s
experiences of disclosing were documented over four group sessions, one team meeting, one
follow-up check-in, and six individual personal journals. A thematic analysis identified three
primary themes: Empowerment, Identity, and Meaningful Vision. Implications of these findings
are discussed. These results address an important gap in the literature on the process of
disclosure for Canadian youth with mental illness using their lived expe riences of sharing their
stories.

Key Words: Self-disclosure, Accessibility, Mental Health, Youth, Young Adults
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank those who supported and contributed to this research, beginning
with the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario. I am honred to experience
this learning opportunity and feel tremendiously greatful for all of the support that I received
throughout this process. Dr. Susan Rodger and Melanie-Anne., thank you for all of your words
of encouragement, insights, passion and most importantly, for helping me to feel empowered by
my voice. This work would not have been possible without your guidance. Thank you to my
family, my partner and friends for your ongoing love, support, laughter and most imp ortantly,
your patience. I would not be where I am today without all of your support and unwavering
belief in my ability. Thank you to all of the participants who took part in this study, your
knowlegde, experience, passion and dedication towards being agents for change is an inspiration,
and it was an absolute honour to have heard your stories and work alongside all of you. Finally, I
would like to thank the Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) for their support and participation in
this project as well as their assistance in bringing the top ten tips of sharing your story to fruition.

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Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………. ii
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………... iii
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….. iv
List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………… vii
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………... viii
List of Appendices………………………………………………………………………… ix
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………........... 1
How is Disability and Mental Illness defined by the Government and Human
Rights Groups? ……................................................................................................ 4
Prevalence of Mental Illness and Disabilities in Youth…………………………… 5
Prevalence of Young Adults Receiving Treatment………………………………. 6
Mental Health Literacy…………………………………………………………… 7
Oppression and Youth Voice……………………………………………………… 8
The Process of Disclosure………………………………………………………… 9
Purpose of the Study……………………………………………………………………… 23
Research Question 1……………………………………………………………… 23
Research Question 2……………………………………………………………… 23
Research Question 3……………………………………………………………… 23
Method…………………………………………………………………………………… 24
Participants……………………………………………………………………....... 24
Recruitment………………………………………………………………………. 26
Materials and Procedure………………………………………………………....... 26
iv
Materials……………………………………………………………………… 27
Procedure……………………………………………………………………... 28
Session outline: Sessions 1-5 ………………………………………………... 29
Data collection………………………………………………………………... 33
Analysis………………………………………………………………………. 34
Results……………………………………………………………………………………... 35
Field notes and Observations……………………………………………………… 35
Thematic analysis…………………………………………………………………. 35
Empowerment……………………………………………………………... 37
Identity……………………………………………………………………. 46
Meaningful Vision………………………………………………………… 51
Personal Journal and Follow-up check-in…………………………………. 56
Discussion…………………………………………………………………………………. 61
Empowerment……………………………………………………………………... 61
Identity……………………………………………………………………………. 63
Meaningful Vision………………………………………………………………… 65
Relationship to Research Questions………………………………………………. 67
Follow-up Check-in Responses…………………………………………………… 68
Field Note Observations…………………………………………………………... 69
Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….... 73
Strengths…………………………………………………………………………………... 75
Implications………………………………………………………………………………. 76
Future Research…………………………………………………………………… 76
v
Professional Practice………………………………………………………………. 76
Closing Remarks…………………………………………………………………………... 78
References………………………………………………………………………………… 79
Tables……………………………………………………………………………………... 92
Figures…………………………………………………………………………………….. 93
Appendices………………………………………………………………………………... 94
Curriculum Vitae………………………………………………………………………….. 123

vi
List of Tables
Table 1: Five Ways to Disclose or not Disclose……………………………………….... 92
Table 2: Total Frequency of Themes and Subthemes for Youth Participant’s in
Sessions 1-4....................................................................................................................... 35

vii
Figures
Figure 1: Major Themes and Subthemes ……………………………………………… 36
Figure 2: Top 10 Tips for Sharing Your Story………………………………………… 93
viii
List of Appendices
Appendix A: Ethics Approval Documentation…………………………………………. 94
Appendix B: Letter of Information……………………………………………………… 95
Appendix C: Consent Form……………………………………………………………… 98
Appendix D: Outline of The Five Sessions ………………….………………………… 100
Appendix E: Modified Outline for Fifth Session………………………………………. 118
Appendix F: Follow-up Check-in Questions……………………………………………. 121
Appendix G: Reflective Journal Questions……………………………………………… 122

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Running Head: YOUTH SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCE 1

Young adulthood represents a critical stage in development in which an individual is not
only still forming their identity, but is also trying to figure out who they are as a member of
society (e.g., Habermans & Bluck, 2000; McAdams, 1993, 2001; McLean, 2005). In our current
fast-paced digital age, many youth and young adults are feeling pressured to be “real” and share
intimate of details about themselves (Henderson & Gilding, 2004; Lin, Zhang, Song, & Omori,
2016). Research reveals that the majority of mental disorders can be diagnosed by the age of 25
and many youth experience the onset of their disorder during adolescence (Kutcher & Wei,
2012). As well, youth and young adults are putting themselves at considerable risk (e.g., stigma,
discrimination, ridicule and alienation) through revealing such personal information (Valkenburg
& Peter, 2011; Vogel & Wester, 2003). These risks can inflict significant negative social and
psychological impacts on self-efficacy and identity development that can persist well into
adulthood (Vogel & Wester, 2003). Thus, it is vital that these individuals receive support in
helping them come to terms with their identity, including their mental health status, as they
transition into adulthood. In doing so, youth may be better able to advocate for themselves, seek
out the resources they need to establish and maintain good mental health, develop a strong and
competent sense of self, and most importantly, figure out how and to whom they should or need
to disclose their mental illness.
Within the last century, epidemiological research focusing on the mental health of
children, adolescents and young adults has recognized that the mental health needs of these
populations in Canada and elsewhere around the world are not being met (e.g., Burns, et al.,
2004; Butler-Jones, 2011; Flett & Hewitt, 2013; Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2009).
As of 2013, emerging research within the field has recognized that there is a very high
prevalence of psychological disorders among children, adolescents and young adults (Flett &