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Roberts Thesis Final.pdf (583.97 KB)

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Associations Between Community Support, Exposure to Violence, and Well-Being Across the Lifespan

Roberts, Lindsey T
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1442918156

Abstract Details

2015, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Clinical.
Exposure to violence has been linked to various negative outcomes, including poor physical health, increased internalizing symptoms, and decreased satisfaction with life. Prior research has looked at various community characteristics that protect against these poor outcomes for the individual community members. However, less is known about whether community characteristics moderate the relation between victimization and overall wellness, and whether they operate differently across the lifespan. The current study examined the relation between victimization, community support, and three measures of well-being (physical health, internalizing symptoms, and satisfaction with life) in a community sample from rural Appalachia (N=1,023) ranging in age from 12 to 30 years old. Linear regression analyses revealed significant main effects: recent exposure to violence was negatively associated with all three aspects of well-being, lifetime exposure to violence was negatively associated with physical health and internalizing symptoms, and community support was positively related to all three outcomes. When controlling for age, gender, and income, models predicted 14% of the variance in physical health (R2 = .138, p < .001), 20% of the variance in internalizing symptoms (R2 = .204, p < .001), and 12% of the variance in satisfaction with life (R2 = .117, p < .001). No significant interactions were found, indicating that, contrary to hypotheses, community support does not moderate the relation between exposure to violence and well-being. Exploratory age analyses showed similar patterns of prediction among adolescents, young adults, and middle adults. Future research should consider different ways to bolster community support as a means of promoting well-being among all age groups.
Carolyn Tompsett (Advisor)
Eric Dubow (Committee Member)
Dara Musher-Eizenman (Committee Member)
66 p.
Mental Health; Psychology; Public Health
Community Support; Exposure to Violence; Well-Being

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Roberts, L. T. (2015). Associations Between Community Support, Exposure to Violence, and Well-Being Across the Lifespan [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1442918156

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Roberts, Lindsey. Associations Between Community Support, Exposure to Violence, and Well-Being Across the Lifespan. 2015. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1442918156.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Roberts, Lindsey. "Associations Between Community Support, Exposure to Violence, and Well-Being Across the Lifespan." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1442918156

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1442918156
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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.