Mental illness self-disclosure among college students: a pre-requisite of social support or a booster of social support benefits?

Background: Self-disclosing a concealable stigmatized identity (CSI) such as mental illness is generally associated with enhanced psychological well-being. Research also supports the link between social support and psychological well-being. Yet, few theoretical explanations exist for the role that mental illness disclosure plays in the association between social support PWB. Aims: To test two competing models linking self-disclosure to psychological well-being: a mediator model in which self-disclosure indirectly contributes to psychological well-being via social support quality (i.e., self-disclosure is a pre-requisite of social support), and a moderator model in which self-disclosure enhances social support benefits (i.e., self-disclosure is a “booster” of social support benefits). Method: College students (N = 174) who identified as being diagnosed with a mental illness completed an online survey. Results: Structural equation modeling results largely supported both the mediator and the moderator models; however, which model statistically outperformed the other depended on the confidant (e.g., mother, friends). Conclusions: These findings suggest the validity of conceptualizing social support as both pre-requisite of social support and the “booster” of social support benefit on psychological well-being.