Graduation Year

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Kemesha Gabbidon, Ph.D.

Co-Major Professor

Vicky Phares, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Tiffany Chenneville, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Joseph Vandello, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kristin Kosyluk, Ph.D.

Keywords

Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Microaggression, Minority Stress Theory, Path Analysis, Rejection Identification Model

Abstract

Disability discrimination is positively associated with psychological distress. Internalized disability stigma or the extent to which negative beliefs about one’s disability become personally adopted is implicated as a mediator. Moreover, disability identity processes, including identity affirmation and rejection may shape downstream consequences of navigating disability discrimination and internalization processes. These relationships are particularly relevant among young adults with disabilities (YAWD) who navigate a critical developmental period characterized by identity formation and heightened perception to social evaluation. In this study, 233 YAWD aged 18 to 25 completed a cross-sectional survey measuring disability microaggressions, internalized disability stigma, disability identity (rejection and affirmation), and depressive and anxiety symptoms. First, the psychometric properties of the disability measure were evaluated, followed by mediation analyses examining internalized disability stigma as a mediator of the association between disability microaggressions and psychological distress, and moderated mediation models testing disability identity (rejection and affirmation) as moderators of the indirect effects. Results indicated that internalized stigma did not mediate the proposed association, and that disability identity affirmation was not a moderator. Disability identity rejection yielded a moderated mediation effect where, at low levels of disability identity rejection, internalized disability stigma explained the association between disability microaggressions and anxiety symptoms. Findings highlight the complex associations between disability identity, internalized disability stigma, and psychological distress in YAWD. Future research is needed to clarify the role of disability identity processes in shaping YAWD’s responses to stigma by improving the psychometric properties of existing measures and examining these mechanisms longitudinally across diverse disability groups.

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