Date of Award

8-16-2024

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Bret Kloos

Abstract

People with serious mental illness face a variety of barriers to participating in community life. Some of these barriers include limits in social functioning which can then affect social relationships and life satisfaction (Sanchez et al, 2016). Devaluation based on mental health status is an important barrier to address due to its connection to stigma and relationships. The more an individual fears that they will be undervalued and discriminated against, the more they may fear interacting with others. They may hide that they are in mental health treatment or avoid social encounters that they consider as possibly rejecting. These behaviors can have a negative impact on social support networks, jobs, and self-esteem (Link et al., 1989). Individuals with serious mental illnesses can also have difficulties navigating systems such as using mental health services, jobs, or housing (Kloos & Shah, 2009; Stefancic et al, 2021). This study focused on the relationship between devaluation, sense of community, and recovery for 300 individuals with serious mental illness who were living independently and using outpatient care. Recovery for those with serious mental illnesses has also been defined as living a fulfilling life regardless of the difficulties of their mental illness. The findings of the study revealed a significant relationship between perceived devaluation and recovery, with a sense of community mediating this effect. Although perceived devaluation was negatively related to recovery scores, when sense of community was introduced in the model, sense of community had a mitigated the effect of perceived devaluation on recovery. Sense of community accounted for variance explained in recovery scores and perceived devaluation no longer had a significant association with recovery. The study highlights the importance of addressing devaluation and promoting a sense of community in mental health care for individuals with serious mental illness. These findings suggest a focus on promoting access to community-based experiences to improve recovery outcomes.

Rights

© 2024, Natalia Gomez

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