Date
9-19-2023
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
M. Diane Pearce
Keywords
mental illness, mental health disorders, mental health conditions, residential undergraduates, minority ethnic, ethnic minority students, college students, discrimination, stigma
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Gowdie, Cheryl, "The Lived Experience of Residential Undergraduates from Minority Ethnic Backgrounds Diagnosed with a Mental Health Condition" (2023). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 4795.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4795
Abstract
Research has demonstrated that mental health illnesses have increased, particularly among college students. Although there is a general understanding of the implications of this trend, there remains a lack of evidence on the impact of mental health diagnoses on residential undergraduate minority ethnic students. This qualitative phenomenological study aims to gain insight into the lived experiences of 10 residential undergraduate minority students aged 18 to 36 diagnosed with one or more mental health disorders. The goal is to understand their personal experiences, including any stigma they may have encountered. Through comprehensive interviews, the study explored their lived experiences. The findings revealed several themes, including the nature of their diagnoses, the challenges of living with a mental health disorder, their experiences in a residential college environment, the support they received, their desire for independence, concerns about others’ reactions to their diagnoses, and their approach to disclosure. Participants reported no evidence of stigma related to their diagnoses; however, this may be due to their limited disclosure strategy.
