A Sense of Belonging Among College Students With Disabilities: An Emergent Theoretical Model

Higher education research suggests that the development of a sense of belonging is key to academic success and persistence, yet we know little about how first-year students with disabilities develop a sense of belonging as they transition into and through their first year in postsecondary environments. Themes from a grounded theory study of 8 college students, most of whom had invisible disabilities, provided the foundation for an emerging model of belonging. Student narratives suggest there are interconnections between the development of a sense of belonging, self-advocacy, social relationships, and mastery of the student role for first-year students with disabilities

Sleep in the Social World of College Students: Bridging Interpersonal Stress and Fear of Missing Out with Mental Health

Introduction: The college years are characterized by psychosocial and biological phenomena that may impact mental health, such as heightened sensitivity to social stressors and compromises in sleep quantity and quality. The current study uses a biopsychosocial approach to examine the associations among interpersonal stress, Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), insomnia, and mental health. Methods: Survey data were collected from 283 undergraduate students (90% female) with a mean age of 21.4 years. A path analysis was utilized to test a mediational model linking interpersonal stress and FoMO with mental health through a mediator of insomnia. We hypothesized that higher levels of interpersonal stress and FoMO would be associated with higher levels of insomnia symptoms, which would in turn be associated with poorer mental health. Results: As predicted, insomnia partially mediated significant associations of interpersonal stress and FoMO with mental health. The association of interpersonal stress with insomnia and mental health was more robust than the association of FoMO with these variables. Conclusions: The pathway from interpersonal stress and/or FoMO, through insomnia, to compromises in mental health may be modifiable through behavioral interventions focusing on coping skills, sleep hygiene, and even technology-related habit changes. Recommendations to help disrupt this pathway, particularly among college students, are discussed

Youth in Transition and Employment: What to Expect in the Work World

Annette Bourbonniere, Graduate Student, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics; and Meada Daly-Cano, Per‐Course Instructor, Psychology. Enacted in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination in employment for people with disabilities. According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study employment of youth with disabilities has steadily increased. In 2009 the employment rate was at 60% for youth with disabilities compared to 66% of similarly aged young adults from the general population. In spite of this increase in employment rates people with disabilities continue to experience discrimination in the workplace. Participants will learn to recognize discrimination in the workplace and develop advocacy skills to address this discrimination. We will discuss techniques that people with disabilities can use to maximize their chances of obtaining and retaining employment and then gaining promotions. These techniques will be applicable to people with both visible and invisible disabilities