What should I say? Online dating and disclosure experiences of adults with mental illness in long‐term romantic relationships

Abstract

AbstractThe present study examined accounts of online and in‐person dating experiences from adults with mental illness who are in long‐term romantic relationships (N = 23). In focus group discussions, participants described their views of advantages and disadvantages of online dating and in‐person dating, how they constructed online dating profiles, decisions about disclosure of their mental health conditions to current romantic partners, and advice about dating for other people coping with mental illness. Overall, participants reported feeling less comfortable with online dating than in‐person dating. A majority of the sample reported that they intentionally excluded information about their mental health status from their online dating profiles. Present findings identified themes from participant accounts about disclosure of their mental illness to their romantic partners that included spontaneous or intentional disclosure, situational or circumstantial disclosure, delayed disclosure due to lack of information, and avoided disclosure. Adults' advice to others with mental illness centred on how to maintain romantic relationships. The importance of research focused on the lived experience of adults with mental illness in long‐term romantic relationships and practical implications of present findings are discussed.