Date of Award

Spring 2007

Project Type

Thesis

Program or Major

Counseling

Degree Name

Master of Arts

First Advisor

Loan T Phan

Abstract

The need for further investigation into the influence of a mental health diagnosis on a client's self-perception is grounded in ethical, clinical, and financial concerns. This study examines the correlation between self-knowledge of a mental health diagnosis and length of time since being diagnosed, with various aspects of self-concept measured by: the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), and the MacArthur Subjective Status Scale (SSS). The sample in this study, drawn from a northeast land grant university student body, was controlled for the presence of physical health diagnoses and resulted in a total of 70 females (68%), 31 males (30.1%), and two who did not respond (1.9%). Spearman Rho correlation was used to determine the degree of relationship between self-knowledge of a mental health diagnosis and variables of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and subjective social status. In a sample of 103 participants, results of two research questions, (1) presence of a mental health diagnosis and (2) time since being diagnosed with a mental health disorder, indicated no significant relationship with the constructs of self-esteem, self-efficacy and subjective social status.

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