Current Research Projects
I have all kinds of projects in the works. Some of them are currently recruiting participants, while others are in the Development or Analysis phases. Check it out:
Advancing Disclosure Theorizing through Disclosure Quality Model: Confidants’ Perspectives of Mental Illness Disclosure in Japan
Co-Researcher, October June 2024-current. This project continues our work to expand the Disclosure Quality Model by surveying adults in Japan who have disclosed mental illness to a romantic partner. Though we have studied this context in America, we believe that cultural differences add nuance to mental health disclosures in Japan, and we’re interested in understanding how someone receiving such a disclosure makes sense of the situation. This research is supported by a NCA Cultivation Grant (Nov. 2024).
Creating and Validating a Relational Illness Identity Scale
Solo Researcher, January 2024-current. This project aims to validate a new quantitative scale measuring relational illness identity and understand the connection between this concept and personal illness identity, health-related emotional quality of life, and stigma.
Support-Provider Skills Intervention
Co-Researcher, August 2020-current. This is an applied project for people who offer social support to someone with a chronic illness, consisting of research-based online training modules to build skills such as navigating support gaps and employing person-centered messaging. We recently published the results of a Community Needs Assessment that showed a gap between the quality of support people think they are providing, and how that support is actually perceived by chronically ill individuals. We used that data to create and test an online training module to develop emotional support skills. Currently, we are testing our second module, which is all about advice-giving. Stay tuned for the results!
“A Brain That Never Sleeps: An Arts-Based Exploration of Black Womens’ Narratives of ADHD in the United States.”
Co-Researcher, April 2024-current. This multi-phase project explores the experiences of Black women who have been diagnosed with ADHD. Research shows that women are under-diagnosed with ADHD, and Black women are particularly susceptible to under- and mis-diagnoses. Using an arts-based approach, we are trying to understand the journey to diagnosis and how it influences these individuals’ mental and relational health. Additionally, we are creating and validating a new scale to measure relational illness identity, or how much your close relationships embrace a chronic illness and how the people around you accommodate your needs, challenges, and triumphs.
