Date
5-16-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Mary Ann Hollingsworth
Keywords
adverse childhood experiences, autoimmune disease, phenomenological study, Kaiser Permanente, Felitti
Disciplines
Counseling | Diseases
Recommended Citation
Gonzalez, Milton Louis, "A Phenomenological Study of Adult Patients with Auto-Immune Disease and Their Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5510.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5510
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study explored and described the shared experiences of individuals impacted by an autoimmune disease and their exposure to adverse childhood experiences. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory, utilizing Kaiser Permanente’s Adverse Childhood Experience study as a guide to create awareness amongst physicians and mental health professionals, leading them to a more holistic approach when treating patients affected by an autoimmune disease. This was a qualitative study using Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology (TPh). The data collection methods used in the study included questionnaires, individual interviews, and document analysis. These forms of data were analyzed through member-checking, triangulation of data, and peer debriefing.
