IU Indianapolis ScholarWorks :: Browsing by Author "Hong, Michin"

Browsing by Author "Hong, Michin"

Now showing 1 - 10 of 16

Advocacy in Mental Health Social Interactions on Public Social Media
(2022-02) Cornet, Victor P.; Holden, Richard J.; Bolchini, Davide; Brady, Erin; Mohler, George; Hong, Michin; Lee, Sangwon
Health advocacy is a social phenomenon in which individuals and collectives attempt to raise awareness and change opinions and policies about health-related causes. Mental health advocacy is health advocacy to advance treatment, rights, and recognition of people living with a mental health condition. The Internet is reshaping how mental health advocacy is performed on a global scale, by facilitating and broadening the reach of advocacy activities, but also giving more room for opposing mental health advocacy. Another factor contributing to mental health advocacy lies in the cultural underpinnings of mental health in different societies; East Asian countries like South Korea have higher stigma attached to mental health compared to Western countries like the US. This study examines interactions about schizophrenia, a specific mental health diagnosis, on public social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) in two different languages, English and Korean, to determine how mental health advocacy and its opposition are expressed on social media. After delineation of a set of keywords for retrieval of content about schizophrenia, three months’ worth of social media posts were collected; a subset of these posts was then analyzed qualitatively using constant comparing with a proposed model describing online mental heath advocacy based on existing literature. Various expressions of light mental health advocacy, such as sharing facts about schizophrenia, and strong advocacy, showcasing offline engagement, were found in English posts; many of these expressions were however absent from the analyzed Korean posts that heavily featured jokes, insults, and criticisms. These findings were used to train machine learning classifiers to detect advocacy and counter-advocacy. The classifiers confirmed the predominance of counter-advocacy in Korean posts compared to important advocacy prevalence in English posts. These findings informed culturally sensitive recommendations for social media uses by mental health advocates and implications for international social media studies in human-computer interaction.
Computational Exploration of Gerontology-Related Topics Shared on Social Media Platform Twitter
(Oxford Academic, 2018-11-16) Cornet, Victor P.; Hong, Michin
Twitter, a popular Internet social media platform, has become a significant medium for sharing information and ideas about various topics, including aging and older adults. While studies have been conducted to examine stigma or perception about specific diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and seizure on Twitter, there has been little effort to identify general themes of Twitter posts related to aging and older adults. This exploratory study attempts to answer this need by conducting a topic analysis of posts shared on Twitter posts about aging and older adults in English. We collected 328,568 English posts from Twitter posted between 07/01/18 and 07/31/18 using 19 English keywords referring to older adults. We analyzed this whole dataset as well as a subset of posts explicitly including aging-related hashtags, such as #olderadults. We used data mining methods (including Latent Dirichlet Allocation) in computing environment MATLAB to discover topics emerging from these two sets. Among posts with explicit aging-related hashtags, the most recurrent topics were family (relation with children and grandchildren, commemoration), community (resources, looking after older adults), health (disease-specific, public health, home care, formal and informal caregivers), politics and policies (insurance/pension, new laws), and news involving older adults (e.g., crimes on/by older adults). The analysis of the larger dataset additionally uncovered posts promoting pornography featuring older females and posts sharing general Internet content featuring older adults (e.g., YouTube videos). We also share the methodological challenges we encountered and practical recommendations for gerontological researchers interested in using social media data to inform new research.
Death Attitudes Among Middle-Aged Koreans: Role of End-of-Life Care Planning and Death Experiences
(Sage, 2018-01) Hong, Michin; Hong, Seunghye; Adamek, Margaret E.; Kim, Mee Hye; School of Social Work
The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting death attitudes among middle-aged Koreans. In addition, the study explored the interaction effect between knowledge about end-of-life care planning and the experience of death of family or friends on death attitudes. The sample was obtained from a national survey with middle-aged adults in South Korea (n = 2,026). Multivariate regression analysis revealed significant main effects and an interaction effect between knowledge about end-of-life care planning and the experience of death on death attitudes. Greater knowledge of end-of-life care planning was associated with more positive attitudes toward death; however, the effect was stronger for those who had not experienced the death of family or friends. Being older and having greater life satisfaction were also associated with more positive attitudes toward death. This study suggests that end-of-life education can help middle-aged adults embrace the final stage of life and prepare for their own death.
Does Organizational Type Matter for Clients' Experiences? A Comparative Study of Nonprofit Organizations, Government Organizations, For-Profit Organizations, and Social Enterprises
(2023-08) Ho, Meng-Han; Benjamin, Lehn M.; Anderson, Fredrik O.; Dwyer, Patrick C.; Hong, Michin
This dissertation research addresses the question: Does organizational type matter for the service experiences of clients? One of the central questions in nonprofit studies is whether nonprofits are distinct in significant ways from other service providers including governments, for-profits, or social enterprises. This dissertation addresses this question by focusing on two aspects of service quality hypothesized as mattering to clients’ helpseeking preferences—employee motivation and clients’ perceived control over key decisions in the service process. It specifically examines how employee motivation and clients’ perceived control affect clients’ help-seeking preferences in different organizational types. In the first essay, the study conducted an online experiment to test how organizational types (governments/nonprofits/for-profits) and clients’ perceptions of employee motivation (intrinsic/extrinsic) affect clients’ help-seeking preferences. Employee motivation has been theorized as distinct for nonprofits compared to governments and for-profits. The study found that clients’ perceptions of employee motivations are a stronger determinant of their willingness to interact with the organization and employees, compared to their perceived organizational types. When employees have intrinsic motivation, there is no effect of organizational type on clients’ service preferences. However, when employees are extrinsically motivated, clients prefer interacting with government or nonprofit organizations and employees. In the second essay, the study conducted a scoping review to examine the current literature on the experiences of clients in social enterprises and ran an online experiment to test the effects of social enterprise types (nonprofit/for-profit) and clients’ perceived control over key decisions in the service process. The study found that clients’ perceptions of social enterprise types and control over their job placement mattered for their service preferences. When the services are provided in for-profit social enterprises, clients would recommend and say positive things about the for-profit social enterprise they perceive to have more control over service selections. But there is no similar effect on nonprofit social enterprises. This dissertation contributes to understanding nonprofit distinctiveness through clients’ experiences, a perspective often ignored in nonprofit studies, and considers the implications for both nonprofit relationships to the market and the state.
The Effects of Caregiving Resources on Perceived Health among Caregivers
(Oxford University Press, 2016-08) Hong, Michin; Harrington, Donna; Labor Studies, School of Social Work
This study examined how various types of resources influence perceived health of caregivers. Guided by the conservation of resources theory, a caregiver health model was built and tested using structural equation modeling. The caregiver health model consisted of caregiving situations (functional limitations and cognitive impairments of older adults and caregiving time), resources (financial resources, mastery, social support, family harmony, and service utilization), caregiver burden, and perceived health of caregivers. The sample included 1,837 unpaid informal caregivers drawn from the 2004 National Long-Term Caregiver Survey. The model fit indices indicated that the first structural model did not fit well; however, the revised model yielded an excellent model fit. More stressful caregiving situations were associated with fewer resources and higher burden, whereas greater resources were associated with lower burden and better perceived health of caregivers. The results suggest explicit implications for social work research and practice on how to protect the health of caregivers.
Ethnoracial Disparities in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Brief Report
(Sage, 2023) Hong, Michin; Yi, Eun-Hye Grace; Kim, HaeJung; School of Social Work
Despite the well-identified vulnerability of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unclear about their experiences with COVID-related posttraumatic stress disorder symptomology (COVID-PTSD). This study examined ethnoracial disparities in the level of, and factors associated with, COVID-PTSD using a national data set, including 1926 Whites and 488 ethnoracial minorities. Results showed that ethnoracial minorities reported a greater COVID-PTSD than Whites. COVID-related distress was the common risk factor of COVID-PTSD for the both groups. Being a female and greater social support were associated with COVID-PTSD only for Whites, whereas higher education, greater IADL and fewer ADL limitations were associated with COVID-PTSD for ethnoracial minorities. The findings provided preliminary, but generalizable understanding of ethnoracial disparities in COVID-PTSD, among the Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65.
Experience Of Unfair Treatment In Healthcare Setting And Related Stress Among Older Americans: Racial/Ethnic Gaps
(Oxford University Press, 2022) Yi, Eun-Hye; Hong, Michin; Bolton, Cherish; School of Social Work
Guided by the intersectionality framework, this study examined the experience of unfair treatment in healthcare settings over lifetime and related stress. A subsample drawn from the California Health and Interview Survey 2017, including residents age 55 or higher, was used (N=12,261). Significant differences existed in unfair treatment and corresponding stress among racial/ethnic groups, including Whites, African Americans (AA), Hispanics, and Asian Americans (AS). Using weighted chi-square tests, we found that most Whites (75.99%) never experienced unfair treatment, while around 60% of AA answered never. Whites tended to feel extreme stress more when mistreated (23.47%) than Hispanics (14.83%) and AS (15.69%). Weighted logistic regression analyses revealed that younger older adults with lower mental health were more likely to experience unfair treatment across all race/ethnic groups. Intersectional factors contributing to unfair treatment experience were identified for each race/ethnic group. Being a female, living in poverty, poor health, being a naturalized citizen, and living in an urban area were factors for Whites while having higher education was a factor for AA. Mental health was associated with extreme stress for the unfair treatment in all racial/ethnic groups. Different contributors to the stress were found by race/ethnicity. Gender, poverty, citizenship, and length of staying in the U.S. were significant for Whites. For AA, poverty, healthcare insurance, and obesity were significant, and for AS, physical health and obesity were. This study highlights the importance of culturally/ethnically sensitive approaches shaping interventions and policies to enhance awareness about unfair treatment and preventing discrimination toward diverse older adults.
Identifying Gaps And Misconceptions And Examining Predictors Of Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge In Korean Americans
(Oxford University Press, 2022) Hong, Michin; Lee, Sang; School of Social Work
This study examined Alzheimer’s disease (AD) knowledge and its predictors among Korean Americans (KAs). A total of 268 KAs in the Greater Washington metropolitan area participated in the study and completed a cross-sectional survey. Using the Alzheimer’s Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), overall and domain knowledge was assessed. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with predictors including exposure to AD, social engagement, sources and frequency of health-related information, stigmatic beliefs (pity, antipathy, and social distance), English proficiency, and education. KAs reported 59% accuracy in overall AD knowledge. They were most knowledgeable about assessment and diagnosis domain and least knowledgeable about caregiving domain. Regression analyses showed that having more education is associated with greater overall and certain domain knowledge. Having more pity stigmatic beliefs is related to greater knowledge in both life impact and caregiving domains while having less pity stigmatic beliefs is associated with more risk factor knowledge; having less social distance stigmatic beliefs is associated with greater life impact knowledge; and having less antipathy stigmatic beliefs is related to better caregiving knowledge. Our findings revealed areas of misconceptions and knowledge gaps in KAs which need to be addressed in educational interventions. Different knowledge status across the domains demonstrates a multi-dimensional nature of AD knowledge. Multivariate findings confirmed the robust role of education in AD knowledge. Effect of different AD stigmatic beliefs on certain AD knowledge domains suggests ways of how stigma change can be efficient for the purpose of increasing AD domain knowledge in KAs.
The Influence of Social Isolation and Other Risk Factors on Older African Immigrants' Emotional Well-Being
(2022-08) Adeniji, Dolapo Omolola; Adamek, Margaret; Hong, Michin; Gentle-Genitty, Carolyn; Huber, Lesa
Social isolation has been documented as a significant challenge for older adults, including those who are immigrants. The conventional wisdom blames social isolation among older immigrant adults on language barriers, living arrangements, and age at migration, however, this does not allow for analytical clarity on how social isolation interacts with other important risk factors to influence emotional well-being among older African immigrants. This study offers an important contribution to the existing knowledge by examining how social isolation and other risk factors interact to impact emotional well-being among older African immigrants. It uses life course theory, acculturation theory, resilience theory, and cumulative risk theory to identify the relevant stressors or risk factors such as living arrangements, financial satisfaction, acculturation predictors, transportation, and grandchild care. A mixed-methods approach integrating quantitative and qualitative research methods was used in the study. For the collection of quantitative data, 163 participants aged 60 and over completed an online or mailed survey. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the quantitative data. Findings showed that ethnic social relations and living arrangements had a unique contribution to the social isolation of the participants. Also, social isolation, ethnic social relations, and financial satisfaction significantly influenced the emotional well-being of study participants. For the study’s qualitative data, the researcher conducted in-depth interviews with 11 participants, age 63-79, by telephone. Five major themes were generated from the data using a thematic analysis approach, which included (a) minimal social engagement outside of the home, (b) barriers to social engagement, (c) satisfaction with finances, (d) fewer socialization consequences, and (e) coping strategies. The overall finding showed that the participants lacked social engagement outside of the home, which negatively affected their emotional well-being. Implications for social work practice and policy as well as recommendations were emphasized in the study.
Intention to Use Long-Term Care Facilities: Differences beween Korean Pre-elderly and Korean Baby-boomers
(Springer, 2016-12) Hong, Michin; Hong, Seunghye; Kim, Mee Hye; Yi, Eun Hye; IU School of Social Work
With the rapidly increasing number of older adults, dealing with long-term care (LTC) needs becomes an emerging issue in South Korea. This study aims to examine factors affecting the intention to use longtermcare facilities with two groups of young-old adults: (1) Korean pre-elderly (KPE) and (2) Korean babyboomers (KBB). Guided by Andersen's behavioral model of health service use and prior research, predisposing characters, enabling resources, need factors, availabilities of informal care and self-care activities were used as predictors. In the final analyses, 803 KPE and 966 KBB were included. The results of logistic regression analyses showed different findings in two groups. Age, education, spouse's physicalhealth, and self-care activities for relationship with family and friends are significantly associated with intention to use LTC facilities among KPE. However, income, physical health of respondents, and relationship satisfaction with children are significantly related to intention of use LTC facilities in the group of KBB. This study suggests different LTC needs between KPE and KBB. Health care professionals and policy makers need to consider such differences to provide quality LTC care for them.

Browsing by Author "Hong, Michin"

Results Per Page

Sort Options