Promoting Spiritual Wellness on a College Campus through Community Based Participatory Research

Authors

Regina Idoate, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NB, USA
Melissa Tibbits, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NB, USA
Mark Gilbert, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
Michele Marie Desmarais, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA
Christopher Fisher, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Alicia Bower, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, USA
Daniel J. Shipp, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA
Joe Kaminski, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA

Published Article Full-text Now Available At:

https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/ijts-transpersonalstudies/vol38/iss2/7/

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

This case study describes an initiative to promote spiritual wellness on a public state college campus and demonstrates evidence of the effectiveness of taking a community-based approach. We employed the community readiness model to develop an initiative to promote spiritual wellness in a Midwestern state university. We recruited informants through purposeful sampling and conducted interviews, both pre- and post-initiative launch. Baseline data was used to inform initiative efforts. The community’s level of readiness to promote spiritual wellness increased from stage three, vague awareness, at baseline to stage six, initiation, at follow up. Although these findings are specific to our community, this communitybased participatipatory research approach may be an effective way of developing appropriate strategies to promoting spiritual practices throughout higher education.

Recommended Citation

Idoate, R., Tibbits, M., Gilbert, M., Desmarais, M. M., Fisher, C., Bower, A., Shipp, D. J., & Kaminski, J. (2019). Promoting spiritual wellness on a college campus through community based participatory research. International Journal of Transpersonal Studies.