McConnell, William

In 2022, there were about 4,276,000 referrals to Child Protective Service (CPS) agencies within the United States in regard to 7,530,000 children (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 2024: xii). Of these allegations there are 558,899 victims of child maltreatment (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 2024: xii). One risk factor for child maltreatment is having a caregiver who has experienced victimization. Although there are many other risk factors for child maltreatment, this research highlights a caregiver having been maltreated and then the type of maltreatment experienced (either physical abuse or sexual abuse) as main areas of study. Results highlight that both physical and sexual abuse are found to increase the risk for other forms of maltreatment, while physical abuse increases the risk for both physical abuse and other forms of maltreatment. This research also continues by examining the type of maltreatment experienced and a child’s likelihood to engage in specific types of deviant behavior (petty, non-violent, and violent delinquency). Results show that physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and emotional abuse increase the risk for petty and non-violent delinquency (partaking in criminal actions). Neglect, emotional abuse, and drug or alcohol abuse increase the risk of having been arrested by age 18.

Using content analysis and in-depth interviews, this study finds variation in perspective of mental health in 1) how it is framed on social media platforms by mental health treatment advertisements and 2) how woman perceive their own mental health struggles, how they sought and maintain treatment, and how the culture of social media influences this perspective. To investigate this topic, this study is separated into two phases: Phase One is a content analysis of 25 mental health treatment advertisements for depression and/or anxiety on Facebook and Instagram with three questions in mind: 1. How do advertisements on social media frame depression and anxiety? 2. What are the solutions proposed? And 3. How are women represented in these advertisements? Phase Two consists of 14 in-depth interviews with three questions in mind: 1. How do women understand their mental health problems? 2. How do social media advertisements affect women seeking mental health treatment? And 3. How does social media affect current course of mental health treatment? Social media advertisements do medicalize women’s perspective of mental health and can best be understood in three terms: communication, convenience, and confidence, through an interplay of medicalization and gender framing. Women give meaning to their mental health through their experience in past and current life circumstances and the culture of social media has shifted understanding and engagement with this dynamic.