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Measuring the Mental Illness Identity
Despite efforts to broaden public perceptions of mental illness, individuals who suffer from mental illnesses continue to experience the negative impact of public stigma. Negative consequences of stigma include its erosive effect on self-evaluation and mental health, particularly among individuals who internalize harmful stereotypes. The proposed research draws from identity and stigma theories to examine mental illness as a stigmatized identity. Identity theorists have traditionally focused on normative or socially acceptable identities; finding that individuals seek consistency between how they view themselves (self-view) and how they think others view them (reflected appraisals). This process, referred to as identity verification, has not been confirmed with stigmatized identities. Stigma scholars focus on non-normative identities such criminals or individuals who suffer from mental illness; however, while these scholars make a case for the negative impact of public perceptions on the self-evaluation of individuals suffering with mental illness, empirical support for this relationship has been mixed. This may be because some individuals use coping strategies to deflect (that’s not me) and/or challenge (that’s not accurate) stigmatizing stereotypes about mental illness. In this study, we use quantitative and qualitative techniques to develop measures for stigmatized self-views and reflected appraisals for the mental illness identity. We then explore the relationship between these identity measures and well-being for individuals with mental illness. Finally, we explore extent to which coping strategies such as deflection and challenging help to reduce the negative impact of stigma.
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The Rise in African American Children Suicide
Suicidal behaviors among Black children has become a growing health concern. Recent statistics reveal that suicide rates among Black children age 5-11 have surpassed their white counterparts. Researchers have yet to determine exactly what is causing the spike. For this reason, I have conducted a literature review in hopes of pinpointing potential causes for the spike. During my presentation, I will discuss 1) suicide trends for black children in the United States, 2) apparent risk factors for suicide among Black children, and 3) demographic themes in recent cases of suicide deaths. The purpose of this literature review is to fill a gap in the literature regarding the implications for a spike in suicide amongst black adolescent youth. Implications of this literature will help to create initiatives more culturally effective for African American youths.
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Is This Lady Like? Portrayals of Single, Career Based Women’s Relationship With Food in American Sitcoms.Exposure to popular culture is an important dimension of gender role socialization. The literature shows that there are specific gender norms that are reflected in the way individuals of a gender consumes, chooses, and thinks about food (Counihan, 1992, Oakes and Slotterbeck, 2005). In this paper, we report the results of a content analysis of six popular and influential American television situation comedies depicting a single, working woman. We are interested in the main character and the supporting cast’s eating habits and attitudes toward food. We are also interested in how the female protagonists eating habits and relationship with food changes between the first major TV sitcom starring an employed single woman, That Girl in 1966, and the most recent TV sitcom in our sample, The Mindy Project. Our findings indicate a paucity of food in TV programs portraying single working women, especially in more recent programs. Women are rarely shown eating, and when they do eat, they are shown consuming “feminine foods” such as salads. We observe a change in the portrayal of women’s domestic roles, with a gradual shedding of any domestic roles or skills in more recent programs and an emphasis on role reversal, with men depicted as more skilled in cooking and self-care. We contribute to the literature on the portrayal of women in popular culture and add a new focus by using the lens of eating and domestic roles in TV sitcoms to study gender roles. |
Physician Communication of Terminal Prognosis and Patient Satisfaction
Clear communication between health care providers and their patients is seen as “best practice” in medicine, especially for patients facing serious, life limiting illness. The purpose of this study is to understand how hospice patients and their family members perceive the quality of their communication with care providers when discussing diagnosis, prognosis, and care planning. Data are drawn from in-depth interviews with a sample of hospice patients (n=20) and family members involved in care (n=37). Findings suggest that the majority of patients feel very positive about hospice care in general. However, patients also indicate that providers generally do not communicate in explicit or clear terms with them about prognosis, leading to confusion about life expectancy. Patients who report that clinicians communicated prognosis in a more direct way are more confidant in care received. Patients also reported physicians that displayed empathy and consideration of patient input about care decisions were perceived as more trustworthy and competent than those that didn’t. We suggest that physician communication skills when giving terminal prognosis may have a significant effect on patient satisfaction and quality of life.
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There is hope and there is help: Reframing messages for families of opioid misusers
According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 47,000 Americans died of opioid overdose in 2017, and more than two million Americans live with an addiction to opioids (HEAL Initiative Research Plan, 2019). This epidemic has affected the nation as a whole but hit the states of West Virginia and Ohio the hardest as of 2017 (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019). Due to widespread effects, the opioid epidemic has received considerable media coverage and societal awareness, for example, scholars found that social media and news outlets have covered the epidemic extensively (Russell, Spencer & Thames, 2018). As coverage of the epidemic spreads, messages have reached platforms like social media (Russell, Spencer & Thames, 2018). This leads to affected family members being inundated by messages about opioid misuse. Despite the number of messages affected families encounter, little is known about the efficacy of such messages. In fact, more information exists about the importance of patient-doctor communication (Impact of Communication in Healthcare, 2011). This study seeks to fill this gap in the research by exploring communication elements geared toward family members of opioid misusers. 10 in-depth interviews (5 with family members of opioid misusers and 5 with health care communication specialists) were conducted to understand the current messaging. Five message themes were discovered: reframing the story of addiction, seeking credible media sources, meet face-to-face, educate young children, and target and tailor messages. In this study, I contend that currently there is a lack of messaging available for families and loved ones of opioid misusers and those that exist could be more effective.
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