Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health Awareness Beyond Messaging, Kylee Tidwell

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Hope Squad is a mental health organization based in Utah. This presentation evaluates a very important narrative to Hope Squad; Greg Hudnall, the founder of the organization, shares the reason he started Hope Squad at all of the organization events. This story defines the values, assumptions, and norms of Hope Squad. Hope Squad values mental health advocacy and creates an expectation of mental health awareness for every person. The norm that results from these values and assumptions is a culture of mental health awareness for the employees. Hope Squad brings awareness of mental health in a variety of ways, so …

Perceived & Personal Mental Health Stigma, Katie White, River Jarman, Brenden Jones, Gabrielle Archambault

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

An exploration of stigmatizing beliefs held by college students, as well as the students' experiences with stigma and discrimination in relation to their own reported mental health problems. The Day's Mental Illness Stigma Scale and the Mental Health Stigma Scale were used to measure varying aspects of stigmatizing beliefs including treatability, relationship disruption, hygiene, anxiety, visibility, recovery, professional efficacy, discrimination, disclosure, and positive outcomes.

Gender & Social Support In Young Adults, Sierra Howe, Amy Jensen, Kaitlin Welsh, Jalena Warner

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The effect of social support on mental health outcomes is important in understanding how best to address mental health issues in the general population. Young adulthood is a time of extreme stress and change which can often be a trigger for mental illness to occur. Previous research indicates gender as a major determinant for mental health outcomes, especially when exploring help-seeking behaviors. While women are more likely to seek support for mental illness, men are much more likely to self-medicate rather than seek help. Trans and gender diverse individuals were much less likely to receive social support for mental illness, …

Re-Envisioning Transforming Communities Initiative, Alyssa Cronin

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

Have you ever seen a large problem you wished we could just solve already? There are many: poverty, homelessness, racism, hunter. The list goes on. Huge issues like these require people to step up to the plate and dismantle oppressive systems and construct better ones. Social workers have been doing this since their conception; however, engagement in these areas have been dwindling over the past decades. TCI was born in 2014 to help combat this by training the next generation of civically engaged social workers while conducting research and working with communities in Utah to create change. It is now …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Students At Usu Eastern, Marcos Suarez, Brielle Mccourt, Aurelio Rodriguez, Jessica Hansen

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of people throughout the world in numerous ways. The ramifications of the pandemic will be studied for years to come. We are interested in the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on college students, specifically those at Utah State University Eastern (USUE). We will be conducting an exploratory quantitative survey, in conjunction with the Student Counseling Center, for current students enrolled at USUE, ages 18 and above and will be asking questions about their mental, educational, financial, and social wellbeing. The survey will be distributed by email and will be available through the …

Coping Strategies In Utah State Students With Depression, Mekenzie Orton, Emma Wirtz, Lauren Ambuehl

Fall Student Research Symposium 2021

In this study, a Sociology student research group looked at previous and ongoing coping strategies of college students at Utah State University. Previous research indicates that college students suffer from depression and use copious coping strategies to deal with this debilitating mental illness. They may be positive or negative in nature. Previous research is dated, and new material should be conducted to continue the education on coping strategies students use to deal with depression. This paper will outline the steps taken, research done, and an overall analysis of data of Utah State University students and their coping strategies for depression. …

Diary Of An Afghan Woman Collection - September 2021

TSOS Interview Gallery

Four women share with us their daily lives in Afghanistan. Join them as they express their love for the country, the people, and each other; and as they share with you their deepest fears and most intimate moments.

They refuse to be silenced as they journey through this new, uncharted chapter in Afghanistan's history.

We at TSOS are honored to provide a platform for their voices to be heard. We will post entries as we receive them. For safety purposes, names have been changed and only avatars (designed with input from each woman) will be used.

ZOYA

Zoya is a …

The Canine-Campus Connection: Roles For Dogs In The Lives Of College Students, Mary Renck Jalongo

Purdue University Press Book Previews

No abstract provided.

[2020 Honorable Mention] The Stress And Mental And Emotional Health Of Undocumented Students, Sarahi Mariaca Diaz

Ethnic Studies Research Paper Award

This paper discusses the stress and mental and emotional health of undocumented students, including DACA students (referred to as DACAmented), DREAMERS, and AB 540 students, during their college application process and their college journey. Also, this paper focuses on how immigration status and stress factors impact undocumented students’ academic and personal life, how those factors impact the mental and emotional health of undocumented students, and how undocumented students overcome or address the stress factors they experience. Finally, this paper discusses how educational institutions in higher education need to improve to make an undocu-friendly and supportive environment for undocumented students.

Understanding Food Insecurity, Maxwell Stapleton

FCS Advocacy Posters

Food insecurity is a widespread issue plaguing roughly 12.3% of households in the United States, which is a total of roughly 15.6 million families. It is defined as the limited or uncertain access to adequate and nutritious food. At times, it is struggling to find any food at all and wondering when your next meal will be. Food insecure areas tend to have less supermarkets and convenience stores, resulting in lower availability of healthy food options like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and more.

Shurooq, Shurooq, Brandi Kilmer, Sherianne Schow, Nicole Taylor, Sasha Sloan

TSOS Interview Gallery

Shurooq fled Iraq and came to the United States when she was 12. Iraq was a beautiful place full of family and celebration. Her brother passed away from leukemia 1 1/2 years prior to coming to the States. Prior to his death, their father took him to Syria to for treatment. He passed in Syria. Although the family had applied for a medical visa to the United States, upon Shurooq’s brother’s passing, they received threats and knew they could not stay. The call came for the visa and all but her mother were able to come. Thankfully her mother arrived …

Victimization And Psychological Wellbeing Among Sexual And Gender Minority Emerging Adults: Testing The Moderating Role Of Emotional Comfort From Companion Animals, Jennifer L. Murphy, Camie A. Tomlinson, Angela Matijczak, Kelly O'Connor, Shelby Mcdonald

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: Human-animal interaction science is a growing field, largely due to the potential psychosocial benefits companion animals provide to humans. One way companion animals may influence psychosocial outcomes is through their ability to provide emotional comfort, though few studies have examined relationships between sexual and gender minority stressors (i.e. discrimination, victimization, rejection), human-animal interaction, and psychological wellbeing. To address this gap in the literature, the current study evaluates whether, and to what extent, the association between gender-based victimization and psychological wellbeing (i.e., anxiety, depression, self-esteem) varies as a function of emotional comfort from companion animals among emerging adults.

Methods: Data …