Keywords
Strategic communication, formative research, mental health, social support
Abstract
Guided by the reasoned action approach, this two-fold research first used an online open-ended elicitation survey to identify beliefs held by undergraduate students (N = 397) pertaining to offering social support to depressed friends or peers. Then, these findings were included in a closed-ended survey study to assess the influence of intention on the social support behavior among students (N = 509). Additionally, the influence of the antecedents of intention (i.e., attitude, perceived norms, perceived behavioral control) on behavioral intention was explored. Next, the study examined whether beliefs predicted the antecedents of intention. Last, the influence of background factors (depression status, depression actual and perceived knowledge) on beliefs was investigated.
Study one findings revealed salient behavioral beliefs focused on the depressed person's feelings and well-being. Normative beliefs involved participants' friends and family approving and the depressed person disapproving of the social support behavior. Control beliefs indicated being close to the depressed person and knowing they wanted to be helped would facilitate engaging in the social support behavior. Study two findings revealed instrumental attitude, perceived injunctive norms, and capacity accounted for 51.4% of the variance in intention with capacity being the strongest predictor. Further, instrumental attitude, perceived injunctive norms, capacity, descriptive normative beliefs, facilitators, and depression knowledge predicted 55% of intention to offer social support. Most beliefs influenced the antecedents of intention. Last, depression status and knowledge influenced beliefs. Findings of the present research may help inform future campaign messages promoting undergraduate students' offering of social support to depressed friends or peers.
Completion Date
2023
Semester
Fall
Committee Chair
Morris-Neuberger, Lindsay
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Sciences
Department
Nicholson School of Communication and Media
Degree Program
Strategic Communication
Format
application/pdf
Language
English
Release Date
June 2024
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
Campus Location
UCF Downtown
STARS Citation
Boutemen, Laura, "Holding an Empathic Lantern to Help Depressed Friends Find their Way out of the Darkness: An Examination of Intention to Offer Social Support Guided by the Reasoned Action Approach" (2023). Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024. 241.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2023/241