Research shows that when faculty members choose to disclose hidden, potentially stigmatized identities to their students—such as mental health issues or an LGBTQ+ identity—it can be powerful for undergraduate students looking for representation. But there are gendered differences in who chooses to disclose, according to a study published today in PLOS ONE.

When a 2018 study revealed that Ph.D. students suffer from depression at rates far higher than the general population, it sparked a landslide of concern about graduate student mental health, with some calling it a mental health crisis. The study highlighted a need to understand what aspects of graduate school affect depression, says Katelyn Cooper, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, Tempe, who studies student mental health.