Date of Award
Spring 5-18-2024
Document Type
Honors Project
University Scholars Director
Dr. Joshua Tom
First Advisor/Committee Member
Dr. Bethany Hoff
Keywords
Mental health, Experience, Stigma, Outlook, Well-being
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the ways past experiences with mental health issues affect current stigma and outlook on life. I investigated whether a personal experience or the experience of someone close (e.g., family, friend) with mental health issues impacted stigma and outlook more than other. The sample included 242 participants who were 18 to 86 years old (Mage = 27.44, SDage = 16.58), 51.7% white, and 77.3% female. Surveys were advertised on a small liberal arts university offering class credit for students and online. The survey included questions on life satisfaction, optimism, stigma, and a newly developed assessment of experience with mental health issues. Results revealed that experience with mental health issues are negatively correlated to and predictive of both stigma and outlook. Personal experience with mental health issues also impacts outlook negatively while the experience of someone close with a mental health issue impacts outlook positively. Further research is needed to understand how all forms of experience with mental health issues impacts one’s well-being.
Recommended Citation
Oddy, Miranda, "Past Experiences and Current Attitudes: Is Everything Connected?" (2024). Honors Projects. 212.
https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/honorsprojects/212
Copyright Status
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Additional Rights Information
Copyright held by author.
Included in
Comments
A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Honors Liberal Arts.