Reasons Behind Stigma On Mental Health In East Asian Cultures And Proposed Strategies of Destigmatization (Olivia Gebski)
The cultural stigma around mental health in East Asian countries (which includes China, Japan, and South Korea) is a neglected topic in modern psychology. Through simple literature research one quickly realizes the limited data and efforts that have been provided to support individuals with mental illnesses from East Asia. This is a result of cultural factors that are often associated with the far East: feelings of shame and guilt, connecting mental health with spirituality, the history and influence of Confucianism, lack of recognition of the importance of politics as well as, lack of leadership representation of mental health services, and therefore limited budget and services for those brave enough to seek help. For this research thesis, I have collected and reviewed the available literature to summarize the history of mental health, types of stigma, current understandings of the shame-cultures, and modern counseling psychology. I was also able to use student responses and experiences of dealing with their mental illnesses as a member of the Asian/Asian American community. Based on these eye-opening yet limited findings, I suggest various methods to increase mental health awareness in East Asia without enforcing Western methods and theories within psychology. This includes (1) investing in the youth, (2) investing in politics, (3) and investing in the community. Through this thesis project, I hope that I will be able to push forward the conversation of the power of stigma and the limitations it holds upon those who need professional support.
Evaluating the Effect of a Disability Etiquette Training on Explicit and Implicit Community Attitudes (Elodie Carel)
Disability is highly stigmatized in higher education and disabled students report experiencing ableism. Similarly, the majority of Americans have negative implicit bias towards disability. Additionally, most faculty and graduate students do not understand disability and accommodations, yet do not believe they are contributing to a negative campus climate for disabled students. Many have indicated would like to receive education about how to support disabled students. Previous research has shown that training on disability accommodations and types of disability can help non-disabled faculty and staff feel more positively about students with disabilities. However, the impact of training about disability as an identity is unknown, as is the impact of any training on implicit attitudes. The present study seeks to determine whether an ableism and identity focused training can impact explicit and implicit attitudes in faculty, staff, and graduate students and whether between-group differences exist in level of bias. To measure bias, the study uses the Attitudes Towards Disabled Persons Scale- Form A and the Disability Attitudes Implicit Association Test, measures of explicit and implicit disability bias respectively. These scales are administered immediately before and after participants take the training. The study found that the disability etiquette training reduces explicit disability bias, but does not affect implicit disability bias, as implicit bias is resistant to change from education. This finding suggests that disability bias in higher education can be reduced, but not eliminated, and that new methods should be explored to eliminate implicit disability bias. Additionally, the study found that staff have more negative implicit disability attitudes before taking the training, and faculty have more positive explicit disability explicit attitudes before the training. No significant differences between groups exist after the training. Future disability trainings should emphasize disability as an identity and the importance of classroom accommodations to maximize positive impact. Additionally, more extensive training should be tested to see if it can change disability implicit attitudes. Important limitations of this study include a small sample size, a lack of random assignment to the training, the fact that all participants come from the same northeastern US university.
Effects of Remote Learning on Physical Activity and Sleep Quality in College Students with Disabilities (Bridget Grant)
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way college students would normally go about their academics and daily living. This research investigates how remote learning has impacted physical activity and sleep quality in college students with and without disabilities. An online survey will be conducted to collect data from about 161 undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Participants will indicate how their levels of physical activity, exercise, and sleep quality have changed since the introduction of remote learning. Information on additional background characteristics was collected including grade level, gender, disability identities, and sleep quality and physical activity before the first U.S. pandemic shutdowns in March 2020. They were also given the opportunity to participate in a second phase of the study, in which participants completed a “daily diary” survey for a two-week period. This survey asked participants to record how many hours of sleep and exercise they were getting each day. College students believe that they have poorer sleep quality and a decreased level of physical activity compared to pre-pandemic levels. Additionally, students with disabilities did not indicate poorer sleep quality and less physical activity compared to their peers without disabilities. The common reason of “stress” for lack of desire to exercise showed a relationship with poorer sleep habits in all students. Although the findings do not support the idea that remote learning has had a significant impact on physical activity and sleep habits, there is still evidence to suggest that college students are facing increased stress that may impact these habits. The findings highlight the importance of good sleep quality and sufficient physical activity in reducing any negative emotions students may feel due to school.
Hungry for the Weekend: Drunkorexia and the College Experience (Julia Gydus)
Drunkorexia is the use of compensatory and restrictive behaviors, like fasting before, or purging after drinking, to counteract effects of alcohol consumption. These behaviors increase the risk of developing eating and alcohol use disorders. The disproportionate focus on females in previous research disregards that disordered eating is common across sexes and must be resolved through inclusive research. I am particularly interested in Greek life because previous findings indicate more Drunkorexic behaviors within this population. This research examines Drunkorexia and potential outcomes including eating and alcohol abuse disorders. It also investigates major Drunkorexia risk factors among college students, including Greek membership, to help legitimize Drunkorexia as a diagnostic issue and facilitate the development of prevention efforts. An online survey was administered to students at UMass Amherst through SONA, an undergraduate Psychology research participation system. The survey had demographic questions and predeveloped scales measuring aspects of psychological well-being. The sample consisted of 89 undergraduates, ages 18-23. Results show that students in Greek life do not engage in Drunkorexia significantly more than students not in Greek life. Disordered eating behaviors, problematic drinking behaviors, higher perceived salience of alcohol to the college experience and higher perceived pressures on appearances from peers were all predictors of Drunkorexia. Students in Greek life did not have significantly higher proportions of any predictor variables than students not in Greek life. Students in Greek life had significantly higher levels of perceived pressures on appearances from family than students not in Greek life, although this variable was not a predictor of Drunkorexia. The more disordered eating behaviors that students displayed, the more they engaged in Drunkorexia. Students that reported alcohol as a more salient part of the college experience were more likely to engage in Drunkorexia. This effect was stronger among students in Greek life. Females had significantly higher levels of both Drunkorexia and disordered eating behaviors than males. These conclusions demonstrate the need to develop interventions for Drunkorexia among certain populations of college students. Additionally, future research on Drunkorexia should include samples that are more demographically representative of the general population to aid in targeted intervention and prevention efforts.
EMTs Policy on Disability: Interpretation or Law (Beshoy Lawindy)
EMS protocol and policies on both a state level and a national level tend to have issues and some may even take it as interpretation. Many of the protocols regarding people with disabilities are very vague, open-ended, and looked at with a one size fits all approach. By looking at the responses of EMTs in handling scenario-based questions on topics such as when to use restraints, their behavior during the interaction, or even bias towards patients with a mental health issue; I hope to get a better sense of if the protocols that are in place for people with disabilities are more of an interpretation or a solid law. This will allow for future changes to be made in policies regarding these issues and better educate EMTs on these topics. In the past research has focused on the mistakes of EMTs, but this research will look at the policies and education that EMTs receive in correlation with their comfort in handling patients with disabilities. This will either show that the education and policies are interpreted incorrectly by EMTs or that EMTs gain knowledge about these issues from experience in the field rather than a classroom setting. This information will be gathered by interviewing current UMass EMTs and asking them scenario-based questions that are similar to the NREMT licensing exam. The data will be looked at to see if there is a linear correlation between questions and answers or if there is a variety. In the end, it was found that EMTs do not receive adequate training for the job and the training they do receive only prepares them for certain situations. The rest of their training is learned as they work with patients and this can harm patients who are used to teach new EMTs these valuable lessons.
Raising d/Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children in Multilingual Homes (Thanh-Ai Nguyen)
Hearing parents of children with hearing loss may encounter different experiences compared to hearing parents raising hearing children. Oftentimes, their child is the first d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing person they have met in their life. These parents need to consider the form of amplification and communication within their families for the future of their child. Similarly, multilingual families of children with hearing loss may face even more unique challenges due to the addition of their family’s native language. Children who are raised by their family who use another language besides American Sign Language and English are d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing multilingual learners (DMLs). The first aim of this research study proposal is to investigate how the form of communications (e.g., only sign language, only spoken language, spoken language, and sign language) and type of amplification (e.g., hearing aids, cochlear implants, no amplification) has a role in the lives of DMLs. The second aim of the research study proposal is to better understand the experiences of parents raising DMLs. In this research study proposal, it is discussed in many ways why this is important and needed for families of DMLS.
The Impact of Accessibility on Campus on Physical Activity for Students with Disabilities (Helen Orton)
It is no surprise that being physically active has a plethora of health benefits and has been shown to have protective effects against the development of chronic diseases. Despite this, there are many barriers people face when it comes to living an active lifestyle. A largely marginalized group affected by this is people with disabilities. To identify solutions to make physical activity accessible to everyone, this study sought to examine the opinions of students with disabilities regarding campus accessibility and physical activity. College-aged students who identify as a person with a physical and/or sensory disability (e.g., blind, deaf) were asked to fill out questionnaires regarding their physical activity and their quality of life regarding their physical health. After this, select participants completed a 30-45-minute interview. This interview included questions regarding how the campus environment and fitness resources affect their day-to-day physical activity. Common themes regarding campus accessibility that emerged from these interviews included positive experiences with disability transport vans, issues with on-campus instruction, and public transit. Regarding on-campus fitness resources, students did not frequently attend the on-campus Recreational Center. Students did engage in alternative forms of exercise, such as swimming, walking outside, and biking.
Impact of COVID-19 on Families of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Sarah Spagnolo)
Parents of children within the K-12 system have faced unique challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – financial instability, feelings of isolation, changes in mental and physical health, and the overwhelming expectation to juggle employment with the full-time positions of caretaker, stay-at-home parent, and education facilitator. While the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges, it has also provided us a new context that allows us to evaluate long standing practices and situations. The conditions imposed by the pandemic provide an opportunity for educators to reflect and act upon new insights that have arisen as a result of this crisis. One subgroup of K-12 families that warrants such reflection is those with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). In this rapidly evolving situation, there has been little research exploring the impacts of the educational changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic on families of children with IDD’s. Changes to the lives of children during the pandemic, such changes in their education, therapies, access to services, and experience of isolation, directly impact the lives of parents. The changes that parents have experienced, such as changes in employment, changes in the amount of time spent with their partner, and other factors, compile to impact parent quality of life and wellbeing. This research used qualitative interviews conducted through Zoom to identify themes related to these children’s experience of education, therapies, and other supports, as well as parent and child mental and emotional wellbeing. This study will also explore and report upon parent opinions regarding their children’s experiences, including education, therapies, and other supports in an attempt to gain a full understanding of those experiences. The study will elucidate areas perceived as positive as well as those areas perceived as in need of change. Participants will also be asked to share their insights as to what services or supports they believe would have been helpful to their families during the pandemic. The information gained from this study may be used to improve resources available to families of children and young adults with IDDs.
Perceptions of Medical Decision Making and Autonomy for Individuals with Intellectual Disability: Perspectives from Pre-Med Students (Jennifer Tamkin)
Within the health care system, there are many important decisions that can impact someone’s life significantly. However, there are a few instances where lessened autonomy for the patient in their choice is advocated for. This case is often attributed towards individuals with disabilities, particularly with intellectual disability (ID). Individuals with disabilities have a history of being left out of decisions about their own bodies and health care. This includes forced sterilization, institutionalization, and further practices without informed consent. These practices are persisting today with signatures from patients without a full choice or understanding what is occurring in their own care. This study aims to look at if there are any specific feelings that pre-medical students have surrounding disability and medical autonomy, if this differs from non-pre-med students, and what sort of educational or disability-related factors may influence this. Overall, we found that undergraduate students generally advocated for greater autonomy, less so regarding weight management than cancer treatment. Implications for pre-medical, medical, and continuing education are discussed.
Knowledge of and Attitudes on Regulations and Services Governing Disabled College Students (Shaun Lynch)
The present study investigated the awareness of disability services and accommodations offered at UMass Amherst and student attitudes on those services, comparing results between disabled and nondisabled students. The goals of this study were to observe how disability identification affected awareness of services and accommodations and to observe how knowledge about services affects the attitudes of disabled and nondisabled students. Participants who identified as disabled (N=56) as well as participants who identified as nondisabled (N=63) were each given a survey that gauged their level of awareness of various services at UMass Amherst and were asked to give their opinions on those services. Participants also were asked if they receive accommodations from disability services and what their experiences with those accommodations have been or which of those accommodations they would like to have. There was no reported difference in the level of awareness of services between disabled students and nondisabled students. Students who were not previously aware of a service reported having better attitudes towards that service than those who had previous experience with it. The most utilized type of accommodation was having extra time for assignments, while the most desired accommodation among those who do not receive them was having permission to record lectures. More research needs to be done on the relationship between nondisabled students and their interactions with disability services and accommodations.
Examining Teachers’ and Parents’ Perspectives of Culturally Responsive Practices for Immigrant Students with Disabilities (Emily Duryea)
Immigrant students are the fastest growing student population in the United States (Bal & Perzigian, 2013). Unfortunately, what is lacking in research are best evidence-based practices for immigrant youth who are receiving special education services. It is imperative for children with disabilities to receive appropriate and adequate services as early as possible to ensure that they can reach their fullest potential in educational settings. Unfortunately, immigrant students with disabilities may be receiving inappropriate and inadequate services that are not responsive to their individual needs and cultural identities. Research literature suggests that providing culturally responsive instruction promotes greater achievement among CLD students (Stoicovy, Fee, & Fee, 2012). Thus, it is critical that educators are more conscious of culturally responsive teaching practices, particularly for immigrant students in special education. In order to develop relevant, effective, and culturally appropriate special education practices, researchers and professionals need to take into account the voices of immigrant parents, as well as teachers (McCray & Garcia, 2002). Through the implementation of an adapted Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy (CRTSE) scale, this research study seeks to fill the gap in research literature by obtaining both teachers’ and parents’ perspectives of school personnel self-efficacy in implementing CRT with immigrant youth with disabilities. This pilot study discusses the insight and comparisons of the perspectives of teachers and immigrant parents of children with disabilities.
Archaic Humans’ Caregiving of Community Members With Disabilities (Madeleine Conway)
A rather insidious disability narrative is that disabled lives are less worthy than those of their able-bodied peers and that it’s been evolutionarily advantageous to ostracize those who are unable to economically contribute to their community. This project aims to challenge that. Contrary to the most common “caveman” caricatures, hominins, or the pre-Homo Sapiens species ancestral and/or related to modern man, were neither particularly brutish nor unintelligent. Some of their behaviors might actually qualify as “civilized,” and paleoanthropologists have found evidence of communities caring for the sick and injured among them. Their bones show signs of common modern degenerative diseases, such as osteoarthritis and periodontal diseases. Sometimes these archaic humans were dealt a disabling injury mid-way through their life and their bones show evidence of healing and growth even when they would have been unable to take care of themselves, and in a sense, been a liability to their community. This project is a meta-synthesis of studies published on previously excavated skeletons from the Paleolithic Period that show signs of significant injury or disease. Then, extrapolating based on the most likely symptoms indicated by the skeletal evidence as well as paleolithic living conditions, this study investigated how their impairments affected their lives. This study showed evidence of long-term caregiving despite severe disabilities across time, species, and location, and it challenges the narrative of an evolutionary devaluing of people with disabilities.
The Influence of Various Modes of Dance among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Haylee Denham)
Much of the research regarding the effects of dance on physical and emotional well-being is conducted with typically-developing children. There is a gap in the literature regarding the effects of dance specifically for young adults with disabilities. Based on existing literature, there is no reason to expect the benefits of dance to be limited by age or ability. To address the gaps in the literature on dance among teens with disability, the researcher designed and implemented a dance intervention. Over the course of two school weeks, the researcher taught a 20-minute dance class to a group of high school students at the Boston Higashi School, a specialized school for students with autism spectrum disorder. There were two experimental conditions: routinized dance and improvisational dance. Each condition lasted for one week. For the routinized dance, the researcher, who was also the dance instructor, constructed a lesson plan that incorporated repeated movements (e.g., Zumba). For the second week, the researcher facilitated the students’ individual exploration of dance and movement by giving tasks, but not necessarily having an expected product. This approach is charged by the Laban Movement Analysis approach. Throughout the classes, students wore an accelerometer on their waistline to measure the metabolic equivalents of tasks (METs), an index of physical activity. Classes were also video-recorded to code for positive affect and on-task behavior. With the combination of the qualitative and quantitative data, the researchers assessed the physical and emotional benefits of each type of dance class to the participating students. The findings of this study will inform approaches to dance for students with autism spectrum disorder within school settings.
Perceptions of Stigma and Identity among College Students with Mental Illness (Elizabeth Kilgallon)
To understand the inherently subjective and self-defined experience of mental illness, we must study mental illness from the perspectives of those who are living with it. The aim of the present study was to evaluate how themes of diagnosis, identity, and stigma interconnect and influence each other, analyzed in the interview responses of college students with mental illness. Thirteen college students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who self-identified with mental illness were interviewed. Responses were analyzed and coded for themes related to diagnosis, identity, and stigma. Participants interpreted the diagnostic process to be helpful and described strongly identifying with their mental illness, with the distinction that it was not their defining characteristic. Stigma, though not experienced firsthand, influenced participants to a large extent. Interactions between stigma and identity and implications for future research directions are discussed.
College Students’ Attitudes Towards the Sexuality of Individuals with Intellectual Disability (Katelyn Loring)
People with Intellectual Disability (ID) are treated differently than people without disabilities, especially in the domain of sexuality. This research investigates differences in the acceptability of sexual behaviors for people with ID compared to people with typical development, from the perspective of young adults without ID. An online survey was used to collect data from 254 undergraduate students attending a university in the Northeast of the U.S. Participants rated the acceptability of sexual behaviors for “you and others students like you”, as well as “adults with Intellectual Disability”. They also indicated the extent to which they agreed with statements about relationships, sex, and marriage for people with ID. Additional background characteristics were collected, including age, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin, comfort level around people with ID, and experience with people with ID. Students were significantly more likely to rate behaviors related to sexuality as acceptable for themselves and their peers than for adults with ID. Students with greater comfort levels and more experience with people with ID were more likely to endorse the sexuality of adults with ID. International students and students who identified as heterosexual were less likely to endorse the sexuality of adults with ID. These findings support the notion that sexuality for people with ID remains to be stigmatized. With greater knowledge of factors that influence beliefs about sexuality, it will be more feasible to alter these prejudiced beliefs and better educate people with ID.
The Effect of a Gratitude Intervention on Young Adults with Intellectual Disability (Caitlyn Wilson)
In the field of Positive Psychology, researchers have begun to explore crucial promoters of happiness (i.e., gratitude, resilience, optimism, personal strengths) and how these may enhance our overall human experience. In particular, research in exercises that utilize the expression of gratitude have been shown to benefit both mental and physical well-being. Of these past studies that explore the effects of gratitude on well-being, most have not included populations with intellectual disability (ID). This population is one that is often subjected to negative societal stigmas and categorized as “weak” and “limited”. In order to fully explore well-being in everyone, positive psychologists should include more diverse populations in their research in order to have a more complete understanding of the human experience. The present study examined the effects of these gratitude interventions on the well-being of 9 adults who have ID. Well-being was measured before and after the six-day intervention period through self-report questionnaires that included measures of resilience (Brief Resilience Test), optimism (Life Orientation Test), helping attitudes (Helping Attitude Scale), self-regulation (The Model of Selection, Optimization, and Compensation), subjective happiness (Subjective Happiness Scale), and general well-being (Scales of Psychological Well-Being). For each of the six intervention days, participants engaged in a brief gratitude exercise (i.e., writing a thank you letter to someone, writing down three ‘gratitudes’, or reflecting on two ‘positives’ from their week) and a daily questionnaire that assessed affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule) and gratitude (The Gratitude Questionnaire). It was expected that the gratitude interventions would have short-term effects on these well-being measures, from pre to post-assessment, and from day-to-day. It was also expected that gratitude may be more correlated with resilience and optimism, and would thus benefit these measures more than others. No significant results were found, however, some participant’s data demonstrated meaningful trends during the intervention period.
The Effect of Music on Exercise Intensity Among Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Emily Breviglia)
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have trouble sleeping, exhibit stereotypic behaviors that disrupt their learning, and are not participating in enough physical activity. Moderate-vigorous exercise has been shown to benefit health, sleep patterns, and stereotypic behaviors in children with ASD, so physical activity needs to be incorporated into their daily routines. Music therapy has been used with individuals with ASD, but it has not been used to increase their physical activity levels. The present study examined the effect of music tempo on exercise intensity in a group of 13 elementary school students with ASD. Exercise intensity was measured by accelerometers worn on the students’ waists. Data were collected six days during the morning jogging and free exercise period. Across the six days, three music conditions were randomized: no music, slow tempo-music, and fast-tempo music. It was expected that exercise intensity would be greater in the music condition compared to the no music condition. It was also expected that exercise intensity would be greater in the fast music condition compared to the slow-tempo condition, followed by the no music condition. A significant difference was found between the slow-tempo condition and the no music condition.
Child Developmental Outcomes in Early Intervention for Infants Experiencing Infant, Parental, and Prenatal Risk Factors (Emily Starratt)
Early Intervention (EI) programs provide serve families with children, birth through age three, who have or are at risk for developmental delays. Whereas there is much research on the benefits of EI, little is known about the provision of EI services to families who are also involved with
child protective services. Involvement in EI for high risk families is important as they are overrepresented in child protective services, and research points to potential deficits that these children often face in growing up (Barnard & Bain, 2015). The present study abstracted data from fifty-two EI case files for families jointly receiving services from EI and child protective services in Western Massachusetts. Previous research indicates that high risk families face difficulty in service engagement due to unpredictability (Forrester & Harwin, 2011). Furthermore, families that EI needs to contact are likely the ones that are “least willing to be contacted by services” (Barnard & Bain, p. 171, 2015). The first aim of the study was to understand reasons for “no shows” and family cancellations. The second aim was to examine the association between level of risk and several domains of child development (adaptive self-care, personal-social, communication, motor, and cognitive skills). It is expected that families will experience a broad range of risk factors. Families with a greater number of risk factors when starting EI services are expected to have children who make smaller developmental gains. The present study has implications for the delivery of EI services to high risk families.