Date of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Type

Honors College Thesis

Academic Program

Nursing BSN

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Elizabeth Tinnon

Advisor Department

Nursing

Abstract

Current literature has highlighted the health disparities faced by individuals within the disability community and how it affects the care they receive. However, for many individuals with developmental disabilities, they require caregivers to make medical decisions for them. The purpose of this study is to focus on the caregiver’s perspective of caregiver stress, physical access to care, and health literacy to combat the challenges faced when getting access to healthcare resources for individuals with developmental disabilities in Mississippi. The researcher hypothesized, based on the literature review, that caregivers with higher levels of educational attainment would have less caregiver stress, more physical access, and higher health literacy rates. Furthermore, the researcher hypothesized that participants caring for individuals with more severe disabilities would have higher stress levels, less physical access, and lower health literacy rates. Research participants were recruited through the help of organizations in the Hattiesburg area by social media presence and physical flyers. The research for this study was obtained through a secure and anonymous Qualtrics survey, and the results were analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Services (SPSS) to find correlations within the data collected from the survey. Participants with higher levels of educational attainment demonstrated stronger perceived support systems for coping with caregiver stress and were less likely to miss appointments due to scheduling conflicts (ρ=.569, p=.005). Additionally, caregivers of individuals with more severe cognitive impairment reported greater access to community resources, suggesting that higher impairment levels may prompt increased service connection or support utilization (ρ=.442, p=.039).

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