PsyD Student Megan Tewksbury’s Research Accepted for Publication

Third-year Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) student Megan Tewksbury has had her article, “Exploring Mental Illness Stigma Interventions in an Online Classroom Environment,” accepted for publication in the Journal on Excellence in College Teaching.

Since beginning Marywood University’s PsyD program in 2024, Tewksbury has continued to build on her undergraduate research exploring ways to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness in classroom environments.

During her undergraduate training, Tewksbury contributed to a study that developed and evaluated a single-session, in-person learning activity designed to reduce mental illness stigma among students. The intervention demonstrated a significant impact on students’ attitudes toward mental illness.

Building on those findings, Tewksbury’s current research examines whether the same learning activity is effective when adapted for an online psychology course. While the intervention did not significantly reduce mental illness stigma in the online setting, the findings provide insight into the challenges of translating educational interventions from face-to-face classrooms to virtual learning environments.

The research suggests that strategies that are effective in traditional classroom settings may not have the same impact when delivered online. By examining these differences, Tewksbury’s work contributes to ongoing efforts to improve mental health education and develop effective approaches to reducing the stigma associated with mental illness.

Tewksbury’s continued research demonstrates the value of connecting undergraduate research experiences with graduate-level scholarship and highlights the meaningful contributions Marywood PsyD students are making to the field of psychology.