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Barriers To Mental Health Treatment For Refugees In Maine : An Exploratory Study, Hayley Fitzgerald
Barriers To Mental Health Treatment For Refugees In Maine : An Exploratory Study, Hayley Fitzgerald
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers refugees face when it comes to accessing mental health treatment in Maine. Research suggests that refugees underutilize mental health services throughout the United States, despite equal to higher rates of mental health symptoms when compared to the general population. To acquire data, eight refugees were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Participants were asked to share about their perceptions of mental illness and mental health treatment, discuss coping mechanisms that they find useful, and offer suggestions for providers working with refugees. Major findings included that stigma, fear, language, and cultural …
Does Degree Matter? : An Exploration Into The Stigmatization Of Mental Illness By Social Workers And Other Mental Health Professionals, Alexandria R. Huber
Does Degree Matter? : An Exploration Into The Stigmatization Of Mental Illness By Social Workers And Other Mental Health Professionals, Alexandria R. Huber
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This quantitative descriptive study sought to explore any differences in stigmatization by social workers and other mental health professionals. The second research question explored whether mental health professionals felt their degree program actively challenged them to explore stigma towards those with mental illness. Fifty participants completed an anonymous online survey that included the Community Attitudes Towards Mental Illness scale, measuring stigma of mental illness. There were an additional four Likert scale questions exploring stigma of mental illness, and the participants perspectives of their education about stigma. The findings indicated that social workers had a lower mean score on the subscale …
In Their Skin : A Discourse On The Modern Tattoo Experience For Adults Aged Thirty And Over, Margaret Feeney
In Their Skin : A Discourse On The Modern Tattoo Experience For Adults Aged Thirty And Over, Margaret Feeney
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative study was undertaken to determine what meaning individuals aged 30 and over with large scale tattoos place upon those tattoos. More specifically, to establish the motivating factors led these individuals to get tattooed, along with the meaning, if any, is placed upon them. Ten individuals aged 32-64 were interviewed regarding their tattoos. Half of the individuals were tattooed for the first time during adolescence. All individuals were interviewed regarding their motivations for getting tattooed as well as any meanings they place on specific pieces. The findings of the research showed the driving force behind getting tattooed to be …
Origins Of Clinician Bias Against People Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder, Lindsay K. Heightman
Origins Of Clinician Bias Against People Diagnosed With Borderline Personality Disorder, Lindsay K. Heightman
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
A growing body of literature confirms that bias exists and thrives in mental health settings among clinicians charged with the care of individuals who meet criteria for BPD as outlined in DSM V – TR and DSM V. This study explores the origins of such bias against individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Second, this study examines the various sources of learning that shape student clinicians' attitudes about people with a BPD diagnosis. Study participants, all students in Master's-level clinical social work programs, responded to an anonymous online survey wherein they were asked to reflect on their learning experiences …
A Sense Of Pride Over My Size : A Qualitative Study Of Women Of Size Who Consider Themselves Body Positive, Ruth A. Salen
A Sense Of Pride Over My Size : A Qualitative Study Of Women Of Size Who Consider Themselves Body Positive, Ruth A. Salen
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative exploratory study investigated how women who self identify as a person of size and who have a positive body image developed their positive body identity. Through the process of a semi-structured interview, the study explored the personal experience of the participants from their youth into adulthood regarding the messages they received about their bodies and how they responded and resisted the impact of those messages. The theoretical underpinnings of this study were based on body objectification theory, stigma theory and feminist theory. Sixteen female participants participated in the study and shared what they believed contributed to their body …
Social Workers With Mental Illness : Coming Out In The Workplace, Alix M. Zamansky
Social Workers With Mental Illness : Coming Out In The Workplace, Alix M. Zamansky
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of disclosure in the workplace among social workers with mental health issues with a particular focus on the catalysts of coming out, whether stigma inhibits disclosure, and the perceived social and emotional benefits and costs of coming out. Due to the sensitive nature of the research topic, an anonymous online survey was used. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, mental health questionnaire, and a researcher-designed Outness Inventory. Thirty-six clinical social workers with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual diagnoses participated in the study, 21 of whom reported being out to someone at work …
Clinicians' Attitudes Towards Borderline Personality Disorder And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder : Implications Of Gender And A Diagnostic Label, Marja A. Walthall
Clinicians' Attitudes Towards Borderline Personality Disorder And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder : Implications Of Gender And A Diagnostic Label, Marja A. Walthall
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of the current study was to investigate mental health clinicians' diagnostic assessments of individuals who have features associated with both Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the effect of gender on their assessments, and associated attitudes. Recruitment resulted in a participant sample of 38 mental health clinicians who completed the survey in its entirety. Most of the participants identified as white (71.2%), were female (61.5%), worked in a community mental health center setting (76.9%) and had their LCSW (25%) or MA/MS in counseling (28.8%). Three surveys were evenly distributed between potential participants and each included …
Hiv/Aids Serostatus Disclosure And Stigma In Asian And Pacific Islander Women : A Call For Intersectionality In The Treatment Of Depression, Andrea L. Mize
Hiv/Aids Serostatus Disclosure And Stigma In Asian And Pacific Islander Women : A Call For Intersectionality In The Treatment Of Depression, Andrea L. Mize
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
In the United States the prevalence and incidence rates of Asian and Pacific Islander (AandPI) women with HIV/AIDS is increasing. As many as 1 in 3 may not know they are HIV positive. Existing literature using stigma theory revealed that AandPI HIV positive women can experience both positive and negative mental health effects from HIV serostatus disclosure. These findings are an important mental health issue as HIV serostatus disclosure has traditionally been encouraged for the benefit of those diagnosed and their kinship networks. The present study seeks to examine the correlation found in previous research between disclosure or nondisclosure of …
More Than Just An Exchange : How Does Access To Syringe Exchange Impact Actively Using Participants' Emotional Well-Being, Melissa A. Morelli
More Than Just An Exchange : How Does Access To Syringe Exchange Impact Actively Using Participants' Emotional Well-Being, Melissa A. Morelli
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative, exploratory study examines how accessing Syringe Access Services (SAS) directly impacts program participants' emotional well-being. The purpose of this research is to give voice to individuals who utilize SAS services; to gain personal and valuable information about the nature of the participant; and to reveal the emotional and mental health outcomes linked with SEP's. Twelve individuals who have been program participants of SAS for over a year were interviewed for this study. Participants were interviewed indoors at one of the SAS's fixed needle exchange sites in the Bay Area. In-person semi-structured interview questions elicited participants' experience with various …
Stigma, Race And Mental Illness : African-American Clinicians' Perceptions Of How These Factors Influence Help-Seeking Behaviors In African Americans, Rabi'ah S. Jamar
Stigma, Race And Mental Illness : African-American Clinicians' Perceptions Of How These Factors Influence Help-Seeking Behaviors In African Americans, Rabi'ah S. Jamar
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative study explored the stigma of mental illness within the African American community from the perspective of African American clinicians. Nine clinicians were interviewed and were asked to discuss personal messages received about mental illness within their family, community, and religious organizations. They also shared their perceptions of African American attitudes, based upon client interactions, towards mental illness and whether a change has occurred within the past 5-10 years; identifiable stigmas within the African American community; inhibitors to help-seeking behaviors; variables that influences help-seeking behaviors; and their recommendations for improving African Americans' comfort with disclosure within the therapeutic setting. …
"She's Such A Borderline" : Exploring The Stigma Of Borderline Personality Disorder Through The Eyes Of The Clinician, Jessica C. Fritz
"She's Such A Borderline" : Exploring The Stigma Of Borderline Personality Disorder Through The Eyes Of The Clinician, Jessica C. Fritz
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study was undertaken to explore the attitudes and feelings that mental health clinicians have towards Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), which, as the literature shows, is a highly stigmatized diagnosis within the field. Special attention was paid to the participants' treatment experiences with this client population, including initial reactions, issues of countertransference, treatment approaches, prognosis, and clinician disclosure. The study was designed to explore the reasons or meanings behind the negative stereotypes that often accompany discussions around BPD. Previous research has not utilized a qualitative approach with therapists. Instead, the existing literature has focused on evidence-based treatments for BPD and …
Women's Social And Emotional Experiences With Abortion, Alicia M. Flanagan
Women's Social And Emotional Experiences With Abortion, Alicia M. Flanagan
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This mixed methods exploratory study piloted a non-validated online qualitative survey instrument to assess women's social and emotional experiences with abortion stigma from women recruited on college campuses in New England. Abortion stigma is defined as prejudices and discrimination directed at women who have abortions, and people and institutions that support women who have abortions. Thirty-nine women took an online survey instrument that asked respondents to: provide their reproductive health histories; report when they first learned of abortion; give information regarding their community's attitudes about abortion; state their feelings about abortion. Eight women, sampled from the qualitative survey pool, participated …
The Impact Of Race And Psychosocial Factors On Help-Seeking Behaviors Among Young Adults In The Prodrome To Psychosis : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At The Center For Intervention Development And Applied Research, Boston, Massachusetts, Paula Daniela Mazzotta
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Few studies have examined how the mental health system in the U.S. presents barriers to help seeking especially among non-White populations. The purpose of this investigation was to identify racial disparities and psychosocial barriers to help seeking among clients in the prodrome to psychosis vulnerable to progression into schizophrenia. Using secondary data from a mixed-methods questionnaire, this study collected descriptive data relaying the perspectives of People of Color and their White prodrome counterparts on their perceived needs, attitudes, and experiences of professional mental health services. Using a sample (N=15) of prodromal individuals in the Boston-metro area, a semi-structured questionnaire measured …
Perceptions Of Treating Professionals : A Pilot Study Conducted With Employees Of The Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital In Bedford, Ma, Alanna Rose Sieck
Perceptions Of Treating Professionals : A Pilot Study Conducted With Employees Of The Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital In Bedford, Ma, Alanna Rose Sieck
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The objective of this study is to gather information from mental health professionals at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts about how they perceive patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). By building on research that has already been conducted, the purpose of this study is to understand if individuals with BPD are stigmatized against by medical professionals. The primary question is whether or not BPD is thought to be synonymous with "difficult" or "hard to treat," leading to less effective treatment. This research will be conducted through an anonymous survey that will be emailed to members …
Asian Americans And Cultural Values : Encountering And Overcoming Sociocultural Barriers To Community Mental Health Services : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, William Lee
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative study explored the narrative experience of Asian American/Pacific Islanders (AA/PIs), who have received or are currently receiving community mental health services. This study was an attempt to illuminate their experience of encountering and overcoming socio-cultural barriers to these services. Historic underutilization of mental health services among AA/PI communities motivated the need to explore what cultural and/or institutional factors reduce barriers to services. Four AA/PIs, with an average length of 7.25 years in treatment, were recruited from a community mental health agency in San Francisco, CA. They participated in 45- minute to one hour semi-structured interviews discussing their experience …
The Influence Of Collective Self-Esteem And The Impact Of Perceived Stigma From Others On Sorority Women's Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Lauren Michelle Baron
The Influence Of Collective Self-Esteem And The Impact Of Perceived Stigma From Others On Sorority Women's Attitudes Toward Seeking Mental Health Services : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Lauren Michelle Baron
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Although researchers are aware of the fact that public and group stigma affect mental health help-seeking behavior, there has been no research on level of collective self-esteem and stigma within specific social networks related to members' attitudes toward seeking mental health services. This study aimed to identify a relationship between sorority women's collective self-esteem, or how much they value their membership in the sorority, and their perceived stigma from their fellow sorority members on their overall attitudes toward seeking mental health services. Fifty-one sorority women between the ages of 18-24 self-selected to participate in an online survey composed of three …
Attitudes Of Mental Health Professionals Toward Mental Illness : Comparisons And Predictors : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Department Of Youth Services, Massachusetts, David Townsend Browne
Attitudes Of Mental Health Professionals Toward Mental Illness : Comparisons And Predictors : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Department Of Youth Services, Massachusetts, David Townsend Browne
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This quantitative descriptive study examines the differences in attitudes toward mental illness and the mentally ill between different groups of mental health workers by asking the following questions: Do mental health workers with higher levels of education show lower levels of mental health stigma? Do mental health workers with more experience in the field show lower levels of mental health stigma? This study uses a data set collected with the help of David Browne and analyzed by Marjorie Postal of Smith College. The sample consists of 64 DYS staff who attended a Staff Appreciation Day and filled out a survey …
Stigmatizing Will And Grace : A Theoretical Exploration Of Gay Male Straight Female Fictive Kin Relationships : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Michelle Anne Beaulieu
Stigmatizing Will And Grace : A Theoretical Exploration Of Gay Male Straight Female Fictive Kin Relationships : A Project Based Upon An Independent Investigation, Michelle Anne Beaulieu
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
Alternatives to heterosexual or homosexual partnerships, such as non-sexual relationships between gay men and straight women, constitute an understudied yet important source of social support for the people in them. This study is an exploration of one specific manifestation of such a relationship, specifically between gay men and straight women, utilizing the concept of "fictive kin" as a way of understanding these relationships. Using interdependence theory and social construct theory to elucidate the ways GMSF relationships have been, and continue to be, stigmatized, this paper offers a lens for understanding the implications of this stigmatization.
What Are The Mental Health Seeking Behaviors Of Female Sex Workers?, Serena Wong
What Are The Mental Health Seeking Behaviors Of Female Sex Workers?, Serena Wong
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This study asked the following question: What are the mental health help seeking behaviors of female sex workers? The study examined: (1) the mental health help seeking behaviors of female sex workers; (2) sex workers perception of the efficacy of talking to professionals (counselors, psychologists, social workers) and non-professionals about emotional issues and; (3) experiences and feelings related to the disclosure of their sex work status to their therapist. Fifty-eight women who were currently sex workers or had worked within the last year responded to a mixed methods survey questionnaire. The survey covered a range of issues in regards to …
The Effects Of Sexually Transmitted Illness (Sti) Stigmatization On Intimate Relationships : Non-Infected Partners' Perceptions, Reactions, Feelings And Attitudes Toward Female Partners' Disclosure Of Herpes Simplex Virus (Hsv) Positive Status, Sarah Heath Williams
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
The purpose of this study was to explore in greater depth the effects of Sexually Transmitted Illness (STI) stigma on intimate relationships by examining the reactions of non-infected intimate partners to their female partner's disclosure of her Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) positive status. The research question was: what are non-infected partners perceptions, reactions, feelings and attitudes to their female partner's disclosure of HSV positive status? This exploratory mixed-methods study was informed by the extant literature on STI stigma and intimate relationships. The lens of stigma theory is used to frame the discussion of the findings. Forty-three participants responded to the …
Exploring The Lives Of African Americans Living With Mental Illness : A Project Based Upon An Investigation At Also Cornerstone, New Haven, Connecticut, Lois Jihae Son
Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
This qualitative research study sought to explore the effect mental illness has had on the lives of African Americans, the language these individuals employ to describe their experiences, and how African Americans' experiences with racial discrimination have informed how they view their psychiatric diagnoses. The study sample included seven individuals who (a) were English-speaking (b) were males or females 18 years of age and over (c) self-identified as African American (d) carried a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders or any major affective disorder (e) and were in current stable mental health. Interviews with study participants were conducted in …