Training Teleconference - April 27, 2006
Self-disclosure: The Public and Personal Effects of Revealing Mental Health Problems
To access an archived recording of the training teleconference and presentation materials please contact the ADS Center at stopstigma@samhsa.hhs.gov or 1-800-540-0320.
"Disclosure is not a black and white choice. Mental illness is a complex experience." —Patrick Corrigan and Robert Lundin, Don't Call Me Nuts: Coping with the Stigma of Mental Illness, Recovery Press, 2001.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about one in four American adults, or approximately 57.7 million people, will experience a diagnosable mental illness in the coming year. Millions of these people will be faced with a choice: Do I tell other people— my friends, my family, my co-workers— about my illness, or do I keep it a secret? Though many will choose to disclose their mental health problems in some way, the stigma and discrimination that still surrounds people labeled with a mental illness will force many others to keep all or part of that information to themselves.
As the quote above illustrates, the decision to disclose mental health problems is not straightforward. In fact, for many people the act of coming out of the closet about having a mental heath problem is a complex process of weighing the benefits and risks of speaking up. Yet, research indicates that, despite its difficulties, self-disclosure has a positive effect on peoples' lives overall— freeing disclosers from secrecy, opening new opportunities for support and recovery, and offering hope to others with similar concerns. The same is true of the effect self-disclosure has on stigmatizing perceptions. Since public attitudes toward mental illness have been shown to improve when a member of the general public interacts with a person with a mental health problem, the shared act of self-disclosure has an important role to play in future efforts aimed at reducing stigma and discrimination.
Please join the the staff of the SAMHSA ADS Center on Thursday, April 27, 2006, as we introduce the topic of self-disclosure and discuss what is gained and risked by choosing to talk openly about mental health problems. In addition to exploring the relationship between self-disclosure and stigma, training materials will provide a review of what is known about the contact approach to addressing stigma and discrimination, and present findings from a recent research study on mental illness disclosure in the workplace. The training also will offer an opportunity for people with mental illnesses, their family members, and friends to talk about their own experiences with self-disclosure and the lessons they have learned from them.
This training will:
- Introduce and gain a better understanding of the interplay between self-disclosure and stigma reduction.
- Review findings from a recent study examining self-disclosure in the workplace.
- Discuss the public and personal impact of disclosing a mental health problem.
Patrick Corrigan, Psy.D.
Patrick Corrigan is Professor of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and Director of the Joint Research Programs in Psychiatric Rehabilitation at IIT. The Joint Programs are research and training efforts dedicated to the needs of people with psychiatric disability and their families. Corrigan has been principal investigator of federally funded studies on rehabilitation, team leadership, and consumer operated services. Six years ago, Corrigan became principal investigator of the Chicago Consortium for Stigma Research (CCSR), the only NIMH-funded research center examining the stigma of mental illness. One current study funded by NIAAA, NIMH, and The Fogarty Center is examining the stigma of mental illness endorsed by employers in Beijing, Chicago, and Hong Kong. Corrigan is a prolific researcher having published ten books and more than 200 papers.
Susan Goldberg, J.D., M.A.
Susan Goldberg currently serves as a Forensic Consultant, performing psychological assessments and psychotherapy in court-related matters. She is also a Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University. Ms. Goldberg’s dissertation explores how people diagnosed with bipolar disorder make sense of having a diagnosis of mental illness. Ms. Goldberg has also been an attorney for over 20 years and a researcher on disability issues for five years. She has been on a research team that investigated both the barriers to employment and the strategies for successfully maintaining employment of people with psychiatric disabilities. Ms. Goldberg has written and spoken extensively on recovery, mental illness, and disclosure of psychiatric disability.
Bruce Black
Bruce Black is the executive director of El Paso Advocacy for Mental Health and Casa Esperanza Activity and Learning Center in El Paso, Texas. As a consumer of mental health services who is involved in advocacy, law enforcement training, community outreach/education, and support groups, Mr. Black offers proof that recovery is possible. In July 2005, he received one of the first SAMHSA/CMHS Voice Awards for his work with the SAMHSA Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI) in Texas. He also is a current member of the Texas Mental Health Consumers State Board, NAMI El Paso, and NAMI Texas. As a mental health advocate, Mr. Black works hard to ensure the availability of high quality care for individuals with mental illnesses in the community and helps to build closer ties between the community and the mental health system. It is through these outreach efforts that his work helps dispel the stigma and misconceptions that surround mental illness.