Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Increasing Quality Of Life For Rural Residents, Erin J. Brawner

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Quality of Life (QOL) is a complex construct. The purpose of this study was to explore potential correlates with rural residents’ perceived QOL to promote an increase in the QOL of rural residents. This quantitative study explored questions regarding possible correlations between QOL and sense of community and QOL and accessibility of community resources, as well as explored what type of resource participants viewed as the most difficult to access. Participants included 199 adults residing in one of three selected, mostly-rural counties in Illinois, Indiana, or Michigan. A survey was administered via SurveyMonkey, mailed questionnaire, or in-person via paper-pencil completion. …

Stigma As A Predictor Of Parental Willingness To Seek Mental Health Services For Their Children In Rural America, Reed M. Smith

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Background

Stigma exists in some capacity towards mental illness. This stigma is a barrier to mental health services for some people. Rural populations are known to have more stigma than their urban counterparts. This can be partly attributed to the rural value system and the lack anonymity in the tight-knit communities. This is on top of already lacking access to mental health services. This especially affects children. A 2015 study on low-income, urban, African-Americans found self-stigma as a predictor of help seeking. The first study focusing on parental stigma of seeking mental health services for their children in rural America …