(PS5-B40) The Influence of Race and Mental Health on Social Disclosure

Intimacy, a specific form of meaningful social connection, is an interdependent process that occurs when one individual makes a vulnerable self-disclosure and feels as though the other individual interaction responded in a positive manner (Reis & Shaver, 1988). Understanding who does and does not engage in interactions that build intimacy, may help clarify why some individuals report feeling lonely despite regularly engaging in social interactions (Maitland, 2020). Why some individuals may choose to not engage in this type of interaction, others may not have the opportunity to due to discrimination and stigma. Previous studies have found that an individual’s race or mental health status may affect the willingness of others to have meaningful interactions with them. For example, White individuals are more likely to avoid race-related conversations due to fear of being perceived as racially prejudiced (Sanchez et al., 2022) and individuals who endorsed mental health stigma kept a greater distance from those with mental health diagnoses, with the distance increasing when the disorder was perceived as more severe (Parcesepe & Cabassa, 2012).

Given findings that the impact of loneliness on mortality is comparable to cardiovascular disease, obesity, and smoking (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015) and the strong association between loneliness and mental health (Wang et al., 2018), understanding the impact of discrimination and stigma on relationship-building behaviors may have important ramifications for physical and mental health. To answer this question, we conducted a within groups discounting task asking individuals to rate how much they would need their loneliness to decrease to make a vulnerable self-disclosure to a hypothetical stranger. We then experimentally manipulated the described mental health status and racial identity of the hypothetical individual to assess the impact of race (White, Black, Asian) and mental health status (no diagnosis, mental health diagnosis, severe mental illness) on willingness to disclose.  

Data will be analyzed using a 3x3 repeated measures ANOVA to assess if individuals are significantly less likely to make a vulnerable self-disclosure based on racial identity or mental health status. Findings from the current study may highlight the interpersonal and systemic obstacles to building intimate relationships essential to understanding the adverse impacts of loneliness on mental and physical health.