Predicting Disclosure of Student Mental Health Problems to Instructors: A Communication Privacy Management Perspective
Abstract
The transitional period of attending college marks a shift towards personal independence for students. The management of conversational topics requires students to determine how they share information. Management of mental health information is a critical topic that cannot be overlooked during these re-negotiation periods. The goal of this study was to examine how the five privacy rule development criteria (culture, context, motivation, risk/benefit gender) of Communication Privacy Management Theory predict a college student’s likelihood to reveal a mental health problem to their instructor. Using multiple regression, bivariate linear regression, and factorial ANOVA, this study revealed that the CPM rule development criteria variables (culture, context, motivation, and gender) are predictors of college students disclosing a mental health problem to their instructors. Findings suggest that predictors of privacy management center on communication and relational factors between students and instructors as well as perceptions of an open conversation-oriented classroom culture, and gender.