Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Marina Wadei and I am a sophomore majoring in Behavioral Neuroscience. I'm from Jacksonville and I enjoy traveling and nature. I am assisting Dr. Shengli Dong in his research on exploring sense of belongingness in students with disabilities in college.

Analyzing the Sense of Belongingness in College Students with Disabilities

Abstract

This research aims to examine the mental health and sense of belonging of college students with disabilities. We conduct a literature review, selecting articles that underscore the mental well-being and social integration of students with disabilities. The research culminates in a manuscript that displays the importance of a sense of belonging as well as the effects of a lack thereof. Throughout this manuscript, we integrate Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory to reveal how a lack of a sense of belongingness can lead to increasing rates of depression, anxiety and extremely low self-esteem. Although no definitive conclusions have been reached yet, we hypothesize that many students with disabilities experienced feeling a low sense of belonging and purpose in college settings.

Keywords: student with disabilities