Disclosure as an Interpersonal Communication Strategy in Depression Management among University Students in JKUAT, Kenya

Abstract

Depression remains one of the leading mental health challenges affecting university students worldwide, with increasing prevalence among young adults due to academic pressures, social transitions, financial constraints, and interpersonal difficulties. In Kenya, university students continue to experience high levels of depressive symptoms despite the availability of counselling services. Although interpersonal communication is central to counselling interventions, limited empirical evidence exists on the role of disclosure practices in depression management within Kenyan universities. This study therefore examined disclosure as an interpersonal communication strategy in depression management among university students at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya. Specifically, the study investigated the influence of self-disclosure, disclosure by significant others, and therapist self-disclosure on depression management, and examined the moderating effect of individual characteristics on these relationships. The study was anchored on the Social Penetration Theory, the Disclosure Decision Model, the Communication Privacy Management Theory, and the Interpersonal Theory of Depression. A concurrent triangulation mixed-methods research design guided the study within the pragmatist research philosophy. The target population comprised approximately 44,000 undergraduate students enrolled at JKUAT, while the accessible population consisted of 1,634 undergraduate students who had attended counselling services at the University Counselling Centre within the twelve months preceding data collection. A quantitative sample of 384 students was determined using Cochran's formula, while four university counsellors participated in the qualitative strand. Consecutive purposive sampling was employed to recruit eligible student participants, while purposive sampling was used to select the counsellors based on their professional experience. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires, whereas qualitative data were obtained through key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, moderation analysis, and other appropriate inferential statistics, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings from both strands were integrated during interpretation to provide a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon. The findings established that self-disclosure was the strongest predictor of depression management among university students. Disclosure by significant others also demonstrated a positive and statistically significant influence on depression management, while therapist self-disclosure exhibited a positive but comparatively weaker effect. The study further established that the composite construct of individual characteristics significantly moderated the relationship between disclosure practices and depression management, indicating that the effectiveness of disclosure strategies varied across different individual characteristics. Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results by demonstrating that disclosure, when applied appropriately and within supportive therapeutic relationships, enhanced trust, emotional expression, and engagement in counselling, thereby strengthening depression management. The study concludes that disclosure constitutes an important interpersonal communication strategy in the management of depression among university students, although its effectiveness depends on the nature of disclosure and individual client characteristics. The study recommends that universities strengthen counselling programmes by promoting xx appropriate self-disclosure practices, enhancing supportive communication environments, and designing counselling interventions that are responsive to students' individual characteristics. The findings contribute to interpersonal communication scholarship by extending understanding of disclosure processes within mental health contexts and provide empirical evidence to inform university counselling practice, institutional mental health policy, and future research on communication-based interventions for depression management among university students.