Table 2.
A cultural framework describing facilitators and barriers to mental health disclosure
| Theme | Representation | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Facilitators | ||
| Individual needs | ||
| Cathartic experience | Es un desahogo | The need to release one’s pent-up emotions; the need to have a cathartic experience |
| Needing help | Necesito ayuda | The need or desire for tangible help or assistance |
| Depression awareness and severity | Antes no sabía nada | The lack of knowledge of depression, its nature and severity |
| Recipient (“the other”) characteristics | ||
| Won’t divulge | No lo anda contando | The expectation that the other will not divulge private matters |
| Attentive | Estar al pendiente | The other is attentive, watchful, aware |
| Quality of the relationship | ||
| Trust and familiarity | Por la confianza | The confidence that the other does not misuse disclosed information |
| Support received | El apoyo que me dan | The past experience of the support and help they received from the other |
| Shared experience and reciprocity | Sufren de esta cosa | The reciprocity or mutually shared experience of depression |
| Barriers | ||
| Individual needs | ||
| Losing face and shaming | Se van a reir de uno | The fear of public shaming due to “being crazy” |
| Being manly | Por el machismo | Masculine pride, being manly and self-reliant |
| Private person | Soy reservada | The attribute of being a private person for all matters |
| Recipient characteristics | ||
| Nothing they can do | No pueden hacer nada | The notion that the other cannot do anything, or are too busy |
| Rejection and disinterest | Al ver su rechazo | The signs of the other’s rejection and disinterest about the problems |
| Quality of the relationship | ||
| Cause no suffering | Para no mortificarlos | The fear of causing the other stress and suffering |
| Negative experience with disclosure | Perdí el interés | Previous negative experiences thwart interest in disclosure |