Coping Strategies and Help-Seeking Behaviors of College Students and Postdoctoral Fellows with Disabilities or Pre-Existing Conditions during COVID-19

Caro Wolfner (), Corilyn Ott, Kalani Upshaw, Angela Stowe, Lisa Schwiebert and Robin Gaines Lanzi
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Caro Wolfner: Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Corilyn Ott: Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Kalani Upshaw: School of Health Professions, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Angela Stowe: Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Lisa Schwiebert: Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
Robin Gaines Lanzi: Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA

Disabilities, 2023, vol. 3, issue 1, 1-25

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a global and multifaceted impact on public health. Marginalized and vulnerable populations, such as college students and postdoctoral fellows with disabilities or pre-existing conditions, are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Various barriers contribute to an individual’s intentions to seek mental health help, but with COVID-19’s unprecedented permeability, more research is needed to support this student population. This phenomenological study explored the coping strategies and help-seeking behaviors of college students and postdoctoral fellows with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using semi-structured, in-depth interviews from fall 2020 (n = 36) and spring 2021 (n = 28), a thematic analysis was conducted. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping was used to triangulate findings, to better understand the relationship between perceived stressors, coping mechanisms, and psychological outcomes. The findings show that (1) college students with disabilities coped in multiple ways (i.e., behavioral, relational, and mental), with some noting improvements in their coping abilities by spring, and (2) stigma prevented college students with disabilities from seeking help when needed. These findings emphasize the need for higher education to address ableism and use factors beneficial to fostering resiliency (i.e., social support, optimism, and self-advocacy) among college students with disabilities.

Keywords: coping; help seeking; college students with disabilities; COVID-19; stigma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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