Social networks of university students with mental illness
File(s)
Date
2015-04Author
Kopa, Brandy
Publisher
University of Wisconsin--Stout. Research Services
Advisor(s)
Ferguson, David Christopher
Lee, Tina, 1976-
Paulson, Nels
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Previous research shows that negative perceptions of mental illness
can cause social distancing and negative perceptions of self. Friendships are
one social support that helps to fight these negative effects. This research attempts
to understand friendships and support systems for university students
with mental illness, including why such support and friendships are pursued.
In-person interviews of students with mental illness and their friends, along
with a survey based social network analysis, help to create a clearer picture
of who students with mental illness are creating these relationships with
and why. This study shows that the friendships of individuals surveyed were
based upon homophily: physical (age and gender) and social similarities
(mental illness, interests, and values). Not found in previous literature, but
shown in this small study, is that connectedness of non-mentally ill individuals
was higher within their social networks compared to social networks
of individuals with mental illness. This study also found that mental illness
could affect moods occasionally, but their friends often saw the symptoms of
the people with the mental illnesses in this study as positive attributes of the
person with the mental illness.
Subject
social networks
friendships
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/77551Description
Research article with illustrations and graphs.
Citation
Kopa, B. (2015). Social networks of university students with mental illness. University of Wisconsin-Stout Journal of Student Research, 14, 212-227.