ORCID
0009-0007-6248-2825
Abstract
A predominant health issue at colleges and universities is alcohol use. This is also true for deaf and hard of hearing college students. Key stakeholders who observe and witness this alcohol dynamic are staff. Researchers used a semi-structured qualitative guide to interview Gallaudet University staff (N = 26) to learn about their perspectives on and experiences with student alcohol use. Through thematic analysis, they identified several dominant themes that were then grouped into the three levels of the social-ecological model. First, they identified intrapersonal factors, including fear of missing out and coping strategies. Second, they identified interpersonal factors such as communication, school environment, social networking in and among schools for the deaf, social isolation for mainstream students, social dynamics, and peer pressure. Lastly, they recognized the impact of university-wide (community) factors, including tradition, education, intervention, and alternative activities. Staff showed themselves to be a valuable source of data on this student-related phenomenon and helped illuminate the alcohol issue at Gallaudet University. Educators can use this insight to address this issue on a social-ecological level.
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