Doctoral Dissertation Research in Rehabilitation Counseling: 2012

Abstract

This article continues a series of reviews of rehabilitation doctoral dissertation research. In 2012, there were 30 doctoral dissertations completed from identified doctoral programs in rehabilitation counseling. Dissertations were indexed by research topic, methodology used, model, and statistical analysis. An annotated bibliography is provided. A consideration of institutional productivity and doctoral graduate employment outcomes were also included in the analysis. Results of the current analysis show that a majority of studies comprised quantitative descriptive research designs. Unlike analyses from previous years, advanced and basic statistics were utilized equitably. The proportion of dissertations focusing on attitudes toward persons with a disability was greater than any of the prior reporting periods. Predictive outcome studies and clinical population research also remain prevalent. Implications for the practice of rehabilitation counseling, education, and future research are discussed.

Keywords

doctoral dissertation research rehabilitation

Dissertations are the principal product culminating from doctoral study. It represents years of training and development while also conveying something of the priorities and competencies of the institutions and programs that serve as gatekeepers. For many doctoral students, the dissertation is first viewed as an intimidating requirement for graduation. However, with training and effort, the dissertation becomes a critical developmental milestone and a path toward content expertise and professional stewardship. Dissertations have long been recognized in rehabilitation counseling as an important source of new information and a compass to the future (Leahy et al., 1989). All claims for professionalization are built, in part, on a solid foundation of esoteric knowledge to guide practice (Cruess et al., 2004; Cullen, 1978; MacDonald, 1995). Each dissertation represents a potential building block in that foundation while also conveying something of the capacity for the academic institutions and programs to provide the education and development necessary for protecting, promulgating, and advancing the discipline of rehabilitation counseling (Golde, 2006).

The significance of the dissertation combined with its relative inaccessibility and limited visibility have led rehabilitation counseling researchers to collect, analyze, and summarize rehabilitation counseling dissertations for nearly four decades (Leahy et al., 1989). Initial analyses were conducted by Lofaro (1981a, 1981b, 1982, 1983a, 1983b) and traced dissertations back to the beginnings of the profession in 1954. Many analyses have been conducted since that time, providing information about trending areas of research, methodological training and sophistication, and future directions for study within a discipline (e.g., Beck et al., 1994, 1996; Leahy et al., 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992). Tansey, Zanskas, Phillips, and colleagues again began publishing these summaries of the rehabilitation counseling research after a 16-year gap from 1996 to 2012 (Tansey, Phillips, & Zanskas, 2012; Tansey, Zanskas, & Phillips, 2012; Zanskas et al., 2014). These most recent reviews are a partial replication of the approach used by Leahy et al. (1988, 1989) and uses a consistent framework for categorization of dissertation characteristics, allowing for a consideration of trends from 2005 until 2011. These trends suggested an increasing use of predictive outcome studies over this period while also conveying a very limited use of experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Tansey, Phillips, and Zanskas (2012) also noted an increasing use of advanced statistics in dissertation research during the years of 2008–2010. That trend, although not linear, seems to have continued to the latest review of dissertations from 2011. The year 2011 also brought an uptick in attitudinal dissertation research even as predictive outcome studies remained prevalent. The use of archival databases for dissertations dipped in 2011 from the previous years (2005–2010) for reasons that were not clear.

The purpose of this current review of doctoral dissertation research was to summarize dissertations from the year 2012 and to consider results in relation to previous summaries as part of a series of annual reviews of doctoral dissertation research in rehabilitation counseling. The present analysis employs the method used in Tansey, Zanskas, & Phillips (2012) and previous dissertation analysis studies. As with previous reviews dating back to Lofaro (1981a), this article provides an annotated bibliography summarizing the content, reference citations, observations, and research trends, while also including institutional productivity and employment trends of doctoral graduates. McCarthy (2014) described the short collective memory of research activity in rehabilitation counseling and the issues it creates for building a strong research foundation and for contributing to the needs of people with disabilities. We believe it critical as rehabilitation counseling researchers to make time for summarizing, synthesizing, building on, and applying the work being done within the discipline.

Method

We based the content review for this study on rehabilitation programs listed in the 2011–2012 National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE) Member Directory. Dissertations were collected using a sequential method paralleling the approach used in previous reviews (Tansey, Phillips, & Zanskas, 2012; Tansey, Zanskas, & Phillips, 2012; Zanskas et al., 2014). The ProQuest Dissertation and Theses database was used to search for dissertators by program faculty in each of the identified parent universities. This process resulted in the collection of 41 dissertations from 15 universities. The researchers then contacted representatives of the doctoral programs to verify the accuracy of any listed dissertations that were in question. We made additions and deletions based on this feedback. The final list for analysis and summary included 30 dissertations.

Once compiled, dissertations were distributed among the authors for initial coding. The authors served as pairs of independent raters for each dissertation. Where discrepancies existed between independent raters, a third researcher, acting as an auditor, made final coding determinations. The content was categorized by methodology, type of data, type of analysis, and research design in addition to a categorization of the general content. We provide a brief description of these categories used for the coding process and refer the reader to Tansey, Zanskas, and Phillips (2012) for the full description. Dissertation methodology was categorized as quantitative, qualitative, or mixed. Quantitative studies were primarily deductive in nature and relied on numerical data to address research questions or hypotheses; dissertations coded as qualitative studies were inductive and used case studies focused on individual meaning of research topics. Dissertations coded as using a mixed method combined quantitative and qualitative research designs (Creswell, 2009). We categorized the research data either as original or archival; dissertations were categorized as using archival data in all cases where the data used for the analysis existed prior to the beginning of the study. The analysis used by dissertators was categorized as either basic or advanced. As with previous reviews, basic statistical analysis included correlation, chi-square, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), while advanced statistics included factor analysis, structural equation modeling, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and path analysis. Type of research design could be categorized as descriptive, quasi-experimental, or true experiment. Dissertations were coded as using a descriptive research design when no intervention was included in the study; descriptive-designed dissertations included quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Dissertations were categorized as quasi-experimental if an intervention was applied but random selection of participants or random grouping of participants into treatment and control groups was not part of the study procedures. Finally, dissertations were categorized as true experimental research designs if an intervention was applied with randomly selected participants who were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups (Creswell, 2009).

Results

Figure 1 shows the number of dissertations published by students graduating from doctoral programs in rehabilitation counseling for each year since data were collected since 2005. The total of 30 dissertations for 2012 is nearly identical to the average ( $\bar{x}$ = 29.43, $σ_{\bar{x}}$ = 7.81). That said, as represented in Figure 1 and in the standard deviation of 7.81, the number of dissertations has fluctuated from year to year, ranging from 19 to 40.

Figure 1.

Number of dissertations per year from 2005 to 2012.

Regarding the methods used, most dissertations selected a quantitative research design (n = 25, 83.3%). Of the remaining five dissertations, two (6.7%) used qualitative and three (10%) used mixed method designs. Taken as a percentage of the total, Figure 2 illustrates a fairly consistent portion of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies over the years. All dissertations from 2011 used a quantitative design, but the overall total number of dissertations was nearly 11 below the average that year. The 2012 numbers suggest this may have been a random anomaly rather than the beginnings of a trend.

Figure 2.

Percentage of dissertations implementing quantitative design from 2005 to 2012.

The analysis of research design involved categorizing quantitative dissertations as descriptive, quasi-experimental, or experimental studies. Of the 28 quantitative dissertations (including both quantitative and mixed method designs), 25 (89.3%) used a descriptive, two (7.1%) quasi-experimental, and one (3.6%) an experimental design. This again represents a fairly consistent pattern since 2005, as shown in Figure 3. Descriptive studies have made up 80% or more of research designs in each year, with an average of 91.2% being descriptive studies.

Figure 3.

Percentage of dissertations using experimental, quasi-experimental, or descriptive designs from 2005 to 2012.

Among quantitative and mixed method dissertations, the analysis showed that seven (25%) used secondary data sources for addressing research questions and hypotheses, while the remaining 21 dissertations reported using data original to their study. No two dissertators used the same secondary data set in 2012. Figure 4 shows the use of secondary data sources from 2005 to 2012. There has been a fairly constant decline in use of secondary databases since 2005 when 40% of all quantitative dissertations were based on secondary data sources.

Figure 4.

Percentage of dissertations using archival data from 2005 to 2012.

Continued evaluation of quantitative and mixed methods dissertations showed 20 (71.4%) using advanced statistical methods. As seen in Figure 5, use of advanced statistics has fluctuated over the 7 years between 2005 and 2012. The proportion of dissertators using advanced statistics in 2005 (70.0%) was nearly identical to that used in 2012.

Figure 5.

Percentage of dissertations using advanced statistical analysis from 2005 to 2012.

Content Analysis

A content analysis was conducted to better understand research topics covered using the categories established in previous reviews. Inter-rater reliability for the coding of dissertations between raters was found to be Kappa = .867 (p < .001). As shown in Table 1, the distribution of dissertations among the major categories from 2012 was as follows: (a) attitudes and attitudinal change, two (6.7%); (b) predictive outcome studies, 13 (43.3%); (c) clinical population studies, two (6.7%); (d) assessment, four (13.3%); (e) program and policy studies, eight (26.7%); and (f) family studies, one (3.3%). There were no dissertations categorized as professional issues, social and cultural aspects of disability, or technology in the 2012 review. Predictive outcome studies (n = 13) and studies focused on programmatic or policy change (n = 8) were most common. The consistent use of research topics across dissertation analyses allowed for a comparison of dissertation studies beginning in 1990. This comparison across reviews allows for a consideration of potential trends or changes over 20 years. Table 1 provides a comparison between the content analysis provided in this review and reviews conducted on dissertations from 1990–1991, 1992–1993, 2005–2007, 2008–2010, 2011, and 2012.

Table 1.

Historical Comparison of Dissertation Categories 1990–1993 and 2005–2011.

Major content areas	1990–1991		1992–1993		2005–2007		2008–2010		2011		2012		Total
Major content areas	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	n
Professional issues	21	8	10	4	18.2	18	15.9	14	10	2	0	0	16.1	46
Program studies	16	7	15	6	13.2	13	6.8	6	5	1	26.7	8	11.6	33
Clinical population studies	21	8	13	5	9.1	9	19.3	17	20	4	6.7	2	15.1	43
Outcome studies	16	6	29	11	35.4	35	31.8	28	20	4	43.3	13	29.5	84
Attitudes and change	13	5	18	7	8.1	8	8	7	25	5	6.7	2	11.2	32
Assessment	8	3	8	3	3	3	5.7	5	5	1	13.3	4	5.3	15
Family studies	0	0	0	0	2	2	1.1	1	5	1	3.3	1	1.4	4
Aspects of disability	3	1	8	3	7	7	5.7	5	10	2	0	0	6.3	18
Technological studies	3	1	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.7	2
Miscellaneous	0	0	0	0	3	3	5.7	5	0	0	0	0	2.8	8
Total	100	39	100	39	100	99	100	88	100	20	100	30	100	285

Program of Dissertation Completion

Finally, an analysis of where dissertations were completed show that, for 2012, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale produced the most dissertations (n = 6), followed by Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison (n = 5). The University of Northern Colorado produced three. The University of Arkansas–Fayetteville, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Wayne State University, each produced two; and George Washington University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Arizona, University of Iowa, and Utah State, each produced one.

Employment Settings of Doctoral Graduates in 2012

A review of doctoral program websites, an internet search, and email contacts resulted in the researchers being able to identify 29 of the 30 graduates from 2012. When there were questions of whether online information was accurate and up to date, we sought to contact the doctoral student’s advisor for confirmation of their employment setting (i.e., academic, clinical, administration). Of these 29 graduates, 22 obtained employment in an academic setting either in the United States or internationally, three were employed in primarily clinical settings, three in administration or leadership for independent living centers, and one in a private research center.

Retrieval of Dissertations

The retrieval method implemented in this review resulted in 12 dissertations being identified as rehabilitation counseling dissertations that were later removed for a 40.0% initial false-positive rate. This rate is similar to that produced in Zanskas et al. (2014) but much higher than Tansey, Phillips, and Zanskas (2012), which reported a 15.3% false-positive rate. The false-positives were due primarily to master’s thesis incorrectly being included in the initial sample as well as rehabilitation counseling faculty serving as dissertation chairs for doctoral candidates in related programs (i.e., special education, counselor education, counseling psychology).

Conclusion

The analysis of dissertation research provides an increased exposure to the research being completed at the apex of doctoral training while also providing insights into the field of rehabilitation counseling, both its research and preparation of new researchers. On the whole, rehabilitation counseling dissertation research appears to continue on a strong pace, with the number of dissertations and the institutions supporting graduates remaining relatively stable. That said, this analysis also offers some insights for future directions and unmet needs in the field. It is worth noting and monitoring the fact that there were no dissertations covering professional issues as the major content area. This is the first time since these categories of content analysis have been used that professional issues have made up less than 10% of the dissertations. The proportion of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed analyses remained fairly steady, with quantitative dissertations far outpacing use of the other two. There was also a slight uptick in the use of archival data for dissertation analysis after a steady drop over the previous 2 years.

Among the many indicators shared in this study, the trend in research design is among the most telling. Experimental and quasi-experimental research designs have not made up over 10% of dissertations in any year between 2005 and 2012. The financial costs and extended time required to produce quality intervention research for graduate students who typically experience a scarcity of both likely factors into the limited amount of intervention research being conducted. However, in this era of evidence-based practice, it is unclear whether new researchers will develop the skills needed to build on existing evidence with intervention research if mentored research focused primarily on descriptive designs. Perhaps the most likely path to seeing an increase in the proportion of dissertations using experimental and quasi-experimental research designs will be from increasing the amount of experimental research conducted by rehabilitation counseling faculty. A recent systematic review of intervention research in rehabilitation counseling suggested that much of the intervention research related to rehabilitation counseling is being conducted outside of traditional rehabilitation counseling programs (Phillips et al., in press). Faculty who are engaged in intervention research are more likely to feel confident steering doctoral students toward and supervising their intervention research. Also, intervention research is relatively expensive and time-consuming. Faculty engaged in intervention research are more likely to have projects and resources that could be shared with doctoral students in their own dissertation research, thus reducing financial barriers and possibly the time to conduct a quality intervention study. In programs where intervention research is not being conducted, dissertators might be encouraged to seek mentors or even to form a dissertation committee that is co-chaired or shared by intervention specialists from related fields. Given the ongoing push for more intervention research in the field and its potential for informing the applied practice of rehabilitation counseling, this trend should continue to be monitored.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Brian N. Phillips

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(2012). Comparative impacts between LONGEVITOLOGY and life review therapy on life satisfaction among nursing home residents in Taiwan [Unpublished 3555117]. University of Northern Colorado.

55.

Ho (2012) examined the comparative impacts between Longevitology and life review therapy on life satisfaction among nursing home resident in Taiwan. This study used a posttest experimental design and cross-group comparison of the two treatments with a control group, which each group had only 12 participants (n = 36) who were recruited from nursing home of Kaohsiung City in the southern part of Taiwan. To compare two experimental groups and one control group, one-way ANOVA and multiple comparison methods (Tukey’s Post Hoc) was used to test hypotheses. Results found that there were no significant differences among the three groups in the life satisfaction of elderly nursing home residents. By adding demographic variables into the analysis, two-way ANOVA indicated that elderly residents over 85 years of age in the two treatment groups showed higher scores on life satisfaction.

56.

Anderson

(2012). Cognitive variability on neuropsychological testing and hippocampal volume loss as predictors of incident Alzheimer’s disease in a geriatric population: Analysis from the Alzheimer’s disease neuroimaging initiative [Unpublished 3524104]. The University of Wisconsin–Madison.

57.

Anderson (2012) examined the value of neuropsychological test variability and hippocampal volume loss in predicting onset of cognitive impairment on Alzheimer’s disease. An existing data set was used to analyze data for 556 geriatric participants enrolled in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Two forms of survival analysis as well as logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Findings supported use of hippocampal volume loss and of high cognitive test variability to predict cognitive loss.

58.

Fleming

A. R.

(2012). Using the International Classification of Functioning to conceptualize and measure quality of life among individuals with disabilities [Unpublished 3516868]. Michigan State University.

59.

Fleming (2012) examined the process of conceptualization and measuring the extent of quality of life of adults with disabilities through ICF model. Two different samples were recruited from a university resource center for persons with disabilities (n = 122) and from a large community rehabilitation service provider (n = 224), a total 346 participants were recruited for this study. Factor analysis and regression statistical procedures were used to explore the data. Results showed that utilizing the ICF model to conceptualize disability and its impact, including both the personal and environmental factors provided a more comprehensive picture of quality of life.

60.

Kelsey

D. J.

(2012). The development and exploratory validation of the awareness of Social Justice for Individuals with Disabilities Scale [Unpublished 3548151]. Utah State University.

61.

Kelsey (2012) developed and validated an instrument measuring awareness of disability-related social justice issues, called the awareness of social justice for individuals with disabilities scale. A sample of 503 undergraduate students at a Midwest university obtained to test the instrument. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess domains. Results of the exploratory factor analysis suggested the need for additional instrument development, with a suggestion for an instrument that specifies the disability being considered in relation to social justice issues.

62.

Wilson

A. N.

(2012). Behavioral and neurological investigations into pathological gambling as a behavioral addiction [Unpublished 3543913]. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

63.

Wilson (2012) examined the integrating neurological and behavioral levels of analysis in the context of pathological gambling. This study had three proposed experiments, and 175 gamblers for Experiment 1, 35 pathological gamblers for Experiment 2, and 18 gamblers for Experiment 3 were recruited. ANOVA, regression, and factor analyses were used to explore the data. In Experiment 1, study determined the effectiveness of Gambling Functional Assessment as an assessment tool. In Experiment 2, limbic and cortical brain systems are activated gambling related tasks and activities, similarly other behavioral and substance addictions. Experiment 3 explored function-based assessment and treatment of pathological gamblers, by comparing brief 30-min exposure to function-based or nonfunction-based acceptance and commitment therapy for gamblers.

64.

Austin

B. S.

(2012). Rehabilitation counselor educators’ perceptions of importance, student preparedness, and teaching proficiency in clinical judgment skill domains [Unpublished 3517872]. Michigan State University.

65.

Austin (2012) examined the rehabilitation counselor educators’ perceptions of importance, students’ preparedness, and teaching proficiency in clinical judgment skill domains, with a total sample of 126 rehabilitation counselor educators who were employed in master’s degree rehabilitation counseling programs. ANOVA tests and post hoc pairwise comparisons were used to explore the data. Results showed that perceive clinical skills of rehabilitation counselor educators to be highly important for effective rehabilitation counseling practice. In addition, RCEs also reported that all clinical judgment skills were important.

66.

Draper

W. R.

(2012). Workplace discrimination and the perception of disability [Unpublished 3543013]. Virginia Commonwealth University.

67.

Draper (2012) used an existing Equal Economic Opportunity Commission database to evaluate workplace discrimination against people with disabilities, focusing on the ADAs definition of disability including a “record of” and “regarded as” having disabilities. Data analysis was conducted through chi-squared automatic interaction detection. Results suggest that social and economic variables were the most significant predictors of merit outcomes, followed by type of industry. Findings suggest that Equal Economic Opportunity Commission interviewers could add socioeconomic status questions, which could increase sociological understanding of disability discrimination in the workplace.

68.

Kierpiec

(2012). Transition counselor efficacy: Essential knowledge domains for best practice [Unpublished 3519461]. Michigan State University.

69.

Kierpiec (2012) examined essential knowledge domains in regard to rehabilitation counselors who provide transition services to youth with disabilities. A total of 353 rehabilitation professionals working in a public vocational rehabilitation agency were recruited for this study. Factor analysis, MANOVA, chi-square, and correlation analyses were used to explore the data. Results found that the knowledge domain were identified to be the most important of transition knowledge. However, VRCs found themselves to be the least prepared in this knowledge domain area. In addition, some transition counselors indicated that they have received no training at all relevant to transition services.

70.

Lewis

T. A.

(2012). A multi-method study for construct development associated with essential management practices framed in laws and standards for disability programs [Unpublished 3552915]. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

71.

Lewis (2012) examined the program factors and key performance indicators for management practice framed in law, regulation, and standards for disability programs. This study used Delphi technique and factor analysis to test hypotheses. Eighteen participants employed in programs throughout the United States served as subject matter experts. Factor loading associated 178 extracted elements with 10 variables reflective of executive core qualifications and key performance indicators defined by the Balanced Scorecard.

72.

Magnuson

L. A.

(2012). A Delphi study to understand relational bonds in supervision and their effect on rehabilitation counselor disclosure in the public rehabilitation program [Unpublished 3552012]. The University of Iowa.

73.

Magnuson (2012) utilized a Delphi study to explore the opinions of expert public rehabilitation supervisors regarding issues that affect the development and maintenance of relational bonds, as well as what factors affect counselor willingness to disclose in supervision, particularly minor ethical issues that may become more serious if not openly addressed. Forty-three supervisors were nominated for participation by TACE directors and public VR administrators. Expert criteria included five or more years of counselor supervision experience, possession of a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling or related fields, and previous supervision training. Experts submitted their input using online questionnaires and were anonymous to other group members. In Round 1, experts answered four open-ended questions regarding bonds and disclosure. In Rounds 2 and 3, they ranked the importance of 39 Likert-scaled questions developed from Round 1 responses. Mean values and standard deviations were calculated for each round, and significance was tested using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The major findings of this Delphi study were that trust has the most impact on the development of relational bonds, and that anticipated supervisor reactions are the biggest factor in counselor disclosure.

74.

Schroeder

D. B.

(2012). Self-determination and end of life planning for persons with disabilities [Unpublished 3548732]. Michigan State University.

75.

Schroeder (2012) sought to determine the relationship between constructs of self-determination and engagement in the creation of a durable power of attorney for health care among persons with disabilities served by Centers for Independent Living in Lansing, Michigan and Lubbock, Texas. The study utilized a survey to measure the presence of self-determined behaviors and another survey regarding the creation of a durable powers of attorney document. The created “Participant Planning Questionnaire” sought information regarding the interest of respondents in learning more about the durable powers of attorney creation process. Demographic information was gathered to allow for description of the respondent population.

76.

Sin

(2012). The relationship between burnout and role stressors among direct service providers at centers for independent living in Region V [Unpublished 3543903]. Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

77.

Sin (2012) examined the relationship between burnout and role stressors among direct service providers at centers for independent living in Region 5. A total 218 direct service providers at the centers for independent living were recruited for this study. One-way ANOVA and regression were used to explore the data. Results showed that “the respondents have average level of emotional exhaustion, high level of depersonalization, and low level of personal accomplishment in categorization of MBI [Maslach Burnout Inventory] scores.”

78.

Stewart

J. F.

(2012). The educational outcomes of online learners: The predictive utility of disability status and self-efficacy [Unpublished 3490805]. The George Washington University.

79.

Stewart (2012) assessed the course grades and course completion of college students, as a function of disability status (disability/no-disability), course type (online/face-to-face), online self-efficacy, and academic self-efficacy. Data for this study were obtained from a purposive nonrandom sample of SWD and SWOD from an Historically Black College or University (HBCU) on the east coast of the United States. The researcher utilized hierarchical multiple regression and hierarchical multiple logistic regression. Interesting findings of the study were that SWD and SWOD completed courses at rates that were similar to another and exhibited course grades that were comparable as well. The data revealed that the grades of students in traditional courses were more likely to be higher than those in online courses. Disability status significantly moderated the relationship between course type and grades, with SWOD being more likely to achieve higher grades in online courses. Surprisingly, neither online self-efficacy nor academic self-efficacy moderated the relationship between disability status, and course grades or completion.

80.

Luse

M. M.

(2011). A qualitative analysis of caregiving experiences of rural mothers with an adult child with psychiatric disability [Unpublished 3547061]. Michigan State University.

81.

Luse (2012) examined the experiences of rural mothers of adult children with psychiatric disabilities. In this study, a total eight rural mothers of adult children with psychiatric disabilities were recruited from a non-urban National Alliance on Mental Illness. This study was a qualitative study and used a qualitative analysis to explore the data. Results showed that although women usually explained their caregiving experiences in negative terms, they also grew in beneficial ways. It was also reported that women became more educated, assertive, advocates, developed enriched relationships with others, and developed purpose in their caregiving experiences. Also, if women received support groups or religious affiliation, the ability to provide care of women increased.