Schoolgirls’ perspectives on self-disclosure in a group-based mental health intervention at school: acquiring friends or risking harassment?

Abstract

The article draws on interviews with participants in a psychotherapeutic education programme, called Depression in Swedish Adolescents, which has seen wide distribution within Swedish schools. We demonstrate how, in their accounts, self-disclosure in front of classmates is made into a central and both positive and problematic aspect of the programme. Sharing private matters in a group setting consisting of classmates might strengthen their interpersonal relations; but at the same time, it carries the risk of triggering already ongoing destructive interactions such as bullying and harassment. Voluntary participation, group composition and paying attention to how members respond to one another and make use of the private information shared stand out as important criteria to consider. However, in order to meet these criteria, an intervention involving self-disclosure in front of classmates needs to challenge the tradition in school of practising mandatory participation, as well as the class structures with their predefined group composition.