REACH Lab Members Win the 2023 Federation Prize from the Central States Communication Association 

REACH Lab members Drs. Sydney O’Shay, Kaitlin E. Phillips, and Jenn Anderson were awarded the 2023 Federation Prize from the Central States Communication Association to support their project titled: Stigma Management Communication Scale Development. This grant recognizes and provides funding for projects that advance the communication discipline. The REACH Lab’s project aims to develop a scale to measure how people use communication to manage the stigmas they experience, such as stigma around mental health, substance use, or obesity. With this project, the team aims to find ways to link the strategies (i.e., isolating oneself, advocating for themselves, etc.) that people use to manage these stigmas with related outcomes, such as mental wellbeing, quality of life, and resilience. A better understanding of how these coping strategies contribute to positive or negative outcomes can inform how clinicians and other practitioners engage with clients that are experiencing stigma.