guiding me through this process, from discussing the current gaps in mental health stigma research, to conceptualizing the study in its entirety. I am grateful for how supportive and informative my thesis committee has been, including Dr. Daniel Lannin and Dr. Matthew Hesson-McInnis; thank you all for allowing me to explore this process with independence and for always being willing to help me when I felt stuck. Their guidance taught me confidence and abstract thinking regarding study conceptualization, and I will use the skills I've learned while furthering my career. I would like to thank my parents for providing tremendous support and encouragement through my academic career and personal life. Without my parents' guidance and honesty, I wouldn't have an interest and passion for those who cope with mental illness. I commend them for their personal strength and openness regarding their own journey with mental health concerns, as well as their support and encouragement for others who cope as well. To all of those who have helped me through this process who I have not named specifically, I thank you for your support and encouragement. Finally, to all of those coping with mental health concerns right now, I thank you for continuing to get up everyday and face the challenge; you are so much stronger than you know.

Previous research has indicated that "coming out proud" is generally linked to reduced self-stigma of mental illness, but moderating factors need additional study. The present study investigated a moderated moderation model, testing whether identity centrality and positive regard of mental illness moderated the relation between disclosing one's mental illness and mental illness self-stigma. Students (N = 364) who reported severe distress or a previous diagnosis of a mental illness completed a series of questionnaires assessing the disclosure of their mental illness, centrality of mental illness to their identity, positive regard of their mental illness, and self-stigma of mental illness. Although main effects indicated that viewing mental illness as a central aspect of one's identity was linked to greater self-stigma, disclosing one's mental illness and viewing it positively were associated with lower self-stigma. Results of a moderated moderation analysis indicated that identity centrality and positive regard moderated the negative association between disclosing one's mental illness and reporting self-stigma of mental illness. The hypotheses were supported as results showed the hypothesized model was statistically significant: Participants who held their mental illness as central to their identity and had high positive regard for it, reported lower self-stigma if they had disclosed their mental illness to a greater extent.