Minimalism on Health and Relational
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THE IMPACT OF MINIMALISM ON HEALTH AND RELATIONAL SATISFACTION: UNDERSTANDING MINIMALISM THROUGH A MEDICAL FAMILY THERAPY LENS A Dissertation Presented to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Michelle Cappetto August 2020 THE IMPACT OF MINIMALISM ON HEALTH AND RELATIONAL SATISFACTION: UNDERSTANDING MINIMALISM THROUGH A MEDICAL FAMILY THERAPY LENS Michelle Cappetto Dissertation Approved: Accepted: _____________________ _________________________________ Advisor School of Counseling Director Dr. Rikki Patton Dr. Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich ______________________ ___________________________________ Committee Member Acting Dean, College of Health Professions Dr. Heather Katafiasz Dr. Timothy McCarragher _______________________ ___________________________________ Committee Member Acting Dean of the Graduate School Dr. David Tefteller Dr. Marnie Saunders ________________________ __________________________________ Committee Member Date Dr. Delila Owens ________________________ Committee Member Dr. Ingrid Weigold ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the MFT faculty for admitting me as a student in 2017 and taking a chance on my research which was uncharted territory for this field. Also, to my committee for looking at this project with a sense of curiosity and interest. I’d also like to thank those who have supported me along the way during this academic journey. To my friend and cohort member Eman. You have showed me such kindness, support, and friendship over the past three years. It has been an honor to learn and grow beside such an amazing person. To my parents Linda and Mario for helping care for my dog during the long days where I was unable to be with him. Your help with Petey during my graduate education, both times, made my success possible. To my friend Jenny for her emotional support and spiritual guidance. You have helped me in ways I cannot even express. To my friend Ariana for inspiring me to live a sustainable and minimal life, ten years ago she introduced me to the work of Bea Johnson. This sparked my interest in this lifestyle and led me to seek other perspectives such as the work of Marie Kondo and The Minimalists. This project would have not been possible without all of the generous people on social media who were interested in my research and participated in my study. I was overwhelmed by the amount of responses I received. Combining my love for marriage and family therapy and minimalistic living in this research project has been a dream come true. My collegiate education and doctoral research have sent me on a path of self- iii discovery and healing. I can say after almost ten years of education I now know the secret to happiness and life satisfaction. Live simply, love authentically. “Last but not least: I want to thank me. I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work. I want to thank me for having no days off. I want to thank me for never quitting. I want to thank me for always being a giver, and trying to give more than I receive. I want to thank me for trying to do more right than wrong. I want to thank me for just being me at all times. -Snoop Dogg" -Michelle Cappetto iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................v ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................x SUBJECTIVITY STATEMENT......................................................................................xi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1 Minimalism: A Chosen Lifestyle............................................................................1 Overconsumption: A Materialistic Epidemic .........................................................4 Physical Health Effects................................................................................5 Mental/Emotional Health Effects.................................................................6 Hoarding......................................................................................................7 Happiness.....................................................................................................8 Anxiety and Depression...............................................................................9 Insecurity....................................................................................................11 Traumatic Stress........................................................................................11 Social Isolation .........................................................................................11 Relational Impacts.....................................................................................12 Materialism and Relational Satisfaction................................................................13 Significance for Marriage and Family Therapy and other Mental Health Professions.............................................................................................................14 v Medical Family Therapy............................................................................15 Research Questions................................................................................................17 Summary of Chapter 1...........................................................................................18 Definitions .............................................................................................................19 II. LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................20 Minimalism: A lifestyle.........................................................................................20 Materialism................................................................................................23 Consumption .............................................................................................24 Stress..........................................................................................................25 Mental Health ...........................................................................................26 Relational Satisfaction...........................................................................................28 Conflict ......................................................................................................28 Physical Health..........................................................................................30 Happiness...................................................................................................31 Intersection of Materialism and Relational Satisfaction........................................33 Medical Family Therapy (MedFT)........................................................................36 Summary of Chapter 2...........................................................................................42 III. METHODOLOGY......................................................................................................44 Research Questions ..............................................................................................44 Research Design....................................................................................................45 Participants.............................................................................................................46 Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria......................................................................46 Procedures..............................................................................................................46 vi Measures................................................................................................................49 Demographics ...........................................................................................49 Demographic Survey.................................................................................50 Gender .......................................................................................................50 Race/ Ethnicity...........................................................................................50 Relationship Status.....................................................................................50 Relationship Length ..................................................................................51 Childhood Family Financial Status ..........................................................51 Current Financial Status...........................................................................51 Therapeutic Services .................................................................................51 Material Values Scale (MVS) Short Form ................................................52 Medial Outcomes Study 20- Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-20) .....53 The Relationship Satisfaction Scale (RAS) ...............................................55 Data Analysis Plan.................................................................................................56 Missing Data .........................................................................................................57 Ethical Considerations...........................................................................................58 Summary