When is the Right Time to Talk about It?: Individual and Parental Concerns about Disclosing a Mental Illness

Abstract

Societal-based stigmas dictate that individuals should avoid talking about a mental illness because they often fear that others will label, judge, or reject them. Do those same rules apply when sharing depression-related struggles with a spouse or a child? Parents have to consider the risks and benefits of sharing with both when talking about depression. At what point should individuals have discussions about depression in the family environment? Most research will identify that depression typically begins to manifest in early adolescence, but are children mature enough at that point to handle that type of disclosure? Do children have a right to know since they may experience similar issues due to their genetic link with their parent? If parents do decide to disclose, how much information should they share and what kind of expectations should the parents impose on children for the management of that sensitive information? Using a communication privacy management (Petronio, 2002, 2013) theoretical perspective, this case study will explore the different dynamics that a parent must consider when managing his or her depression-related private information with children.