Honors Thesis Archive
| Author | Clare Neltner |
|---|---|
| Title | First-Year Medication Adherence During the Transition to College |
| Department | Psychology |
| Advisor | Mary Jo Zembar |
| Year | 2022 |
| Honors | University Honors |
| Full Text | View Thesis (359 KB) |
| Abstract | The current study analyzed how the developmental components of emerging adulthood in first-year college students are related to medication adherence/nonadherence. It was hypothesized that the newly discovered autonomy during the transition to college would encourage an exploration in identity and provide an opportunity for the “reinvention” of the self that might impact medication taking. Participants were 124 undergraduate first-year students enrolled at a small university in the Midwest. Participants completed an online survey that asked about their medication habits and the potential barriers to their medication adherence. Participants then answered questions regarding their perceived self-esteem, autonomy, identity, and stigma. The results showed that the most common barriers for medication adherence in first-year students were “feeling better” and “forgetfulness.” Additionally, the results revealed that the first-year students who were currently taking mental health medications (MH) demonstrated higher levels of agreement with feelings of perceived stigma and lower levels of agreement with feelings of autonomy and perceived self-esteem than the students taking physical health (PH) medications or no medication (p < .05). These results highlight the importance of how transitional developmental components may have an impact on medication adherence in first-year college students. |
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