Causal explanations for mental illness and recovery-oriented beliefs in young adults
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore how perceptions about the cause of mental illness interact with experiences with personal recovery and treatment seeking among college students who received mental health diagnoses in childhood or adolescence. College students are frequently undertaking the transition from adolescence to adulthood (Arnett, 2018), which poses unique opportunities for identity exploration, as well as new challenges and increased risk for mental health problems (Cao et al., 2021; Kessler et al., 2005). The transition into adulthood is likely to be highly significant for individuals who have already had experiences with symptoms of mental health disorders, and who must choose how to integrate their symptoms into their identity and whether or how to seek continued mental health treatment. Psychological or personal recovery is the process of positively integrating mental health diagnoses and symptoms into one’s identity and finding meaning (Dell, Long, & Mancini, 2021). One factor that may influence an individual's personal recovery and management of ongoing symptoms is their causal explanations for symptoms, or beliefs about the origin and nature of mental health. Causal explanations impact perceptions of stigma, self-control, and appropriate treatment options among other factors. This study aimed to investigate how causal explanations impact treatment seeking behaviors and recovery recovery-oriented beliefs among college students who previously received mental health diagnoses in childhood or adolescence.
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Overview -- Review of the literature -- Method -- Results -- Discussion
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Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)