Acceptance of Disability and College Transition: Factors contributing to Adjustment for Students with Mental Health Disabilities
Abstract
Marianne Balton, Oakland University
Acceptance of disability is a variable identified among students with predominantly physical disabilites that impacts school success. Individuals who accept their disability tend to have higher levels of self-esteem, better coping skills, higher goals, and higher motivations. There has been a steady increase in the percentages of students with mental health disabilites who are enrolling in post-secondary studies. Recent estimates from the Department of Education show that the category of “mental illness and depression” represents 31% of the total number of students with disabilities enrolled in post-secondary institutions. Within this cohort 86% percent withdraw from college prior to completing a degree. The study of disability acceptance among entering college students with mental health disabilites is a relatively unexplored area of inquiry in post-secondary research. Investigation of acceptance among this cohort could yield valuable information that will meaningfully contribute to the study of best practices in supporting these students to succeed.
Emerging adults with mental health disabilites remain relatively absent from research on factors facilitating their academic success. This lack of a strong and consistent voice in research narrows their depiction and limits the possibilities for meaningful reform regarding the ways by which university personnel may support their academic and social development. As the percentage of students in this disability category increases so does the need to understand their adaptive experiences to facilitate access, goodness of fit with their institutions, and help them persist to graduation. The findings of this study may be useful to policy makers in postsecondary education, student affairs administrators, student services providers (including disability services providers), faculty, and staff. Findings may inform clinicians in university counseling centers regarding how to eliminate any potential counseling related roadblocks. Moreover, this information may be useful for families of students with mental health disabilities who are considering college, as well as high school counselors, and community service providers.
The purpose of this mixed-method, grounded theory study is to explore and understand the impact of disability acceptance as students navigate the first-year transition to college. This study intends to develop an emerging theory that will describe the factors that influence their process of accepting disability, and its impact on adaptation and persistence. Students will participate in qualitative interviews and complete a quantitative instrument, the Adaptation to Disability Scale – Revised (ADS-R). The results will be used as collaborative evidence to identify the overall extent to which students with mental health disabilities have reached acceptance.