Graduate student loan debt in psychology, particularly for those with Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) degrees in clinical psychology, is highly problematic. Previous research has shown that student loan debt negatively impacts quality of life (QOL) by affecting subjective well-being (SWB) and life satisfaction (LS). This study used a convergent parallel mixed method approach, guided by bottom-up spillover theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, to explore the relationship between QOL and total graduate student loan balances, as well as the effects of income and monthly student loan payments on QOL among PsyD graduates. Participants (N = 16) completed a survey with demographic questions, the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), and open-ended questions about the domains most affected by their debt and their experiences with it. Quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between total student loan balances and QOL, F = 5.654, df = 3, 12, p = .012, with higher loan balances correlating with lower QOLS scores. Qualitative analysis indicated that PsyD graduates often allocate their financial resources to meet lower-level needs, hindering their ability to achieve self-actualization. This dissatisfaction with material comforts spills over into other life domains, decreasing overall QOL. Further research is needed to identify factors that influence and moderate this relationship.
","abstract_html":"<p>Graduate student loan debt in psychology, particularly for those with Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) degrees in clinical psychology, is highly problematic. Previous research has shown that student loan debt negatively impacts quality of life (QOL) by affecting subjective well-being (SWB) and life satisfaction (LS). This study used a convergent parallel mixed method approach, guided by bottom-up spillover theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, to explore the relationship between QOL and total graduate student loan balances, as well as the effects of income and monthly student loan payments on QOL among PsyD graduates. Participants (N = 16) completed a survey with demographic questions, the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), and open-ended questions about the domains most affected by their debt and their experiences with it. Quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between total student loan balances and QOL, F = 5.654, df = 3, 12, p = .012, with higher loan balances correlating with lower QOLS scores. Qualitative analysis indicated that PsyD graduates often allocate their financial resources to meet lower-level needs, hindering their ability to achieve self-actualization. This dissatisfaction with material comforts spills over into other life domains, decreasing overall QOL. Further research is needed to identify factors that influence and moderate this relationship.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["James, Lekai"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology","degree_level":"Dissertation - Public Access","degree_discipline":"Clinical Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Kristen Newberry, PsyD","Sandra Zakowski, PhD","Joyce Mojica, PsyD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-06-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:20Z","subjects":["QOL (Quality of Life)","PsyD","graduate student loan debt","psychology","Maslow","bottom-up spillover theory","Clinical Psychology","Growth and Development","Income Distribution","Other Psychology","Other Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/844","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Kristen Newberry, PsyD","Sandra Zakowski, PhD","Joyce Mojica, PsyD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["James, Lekai"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-06-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Clinical Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Public Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["QOL (Quality of Life)","PsyD","graduate student loan debt","psychology","Maslow","bottom-up spillover theory","Clinical Psychology","Growth and Development","Income Distribution","Other Psychology","Other Social and Behavioral Sciences"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/844"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Graduate student loan debt in psychology, particularly for those with Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) degrees in clinical psychology, is highly problematic. Previous research has shown that student loan debt negatively impacts quality of life (QOL) by affecting subjective well-being (SWB) and life satisfaction (LS). This study used a convergent parallel mixed method approach, guided by bottom-up spillover theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, to explore the relationship between QOL and total graduate student loan balances, as well as the effects of income and monthly student loan payments on QOL among PsyD graduates. Participants (N = 16) completed a survey with demographic questions, the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), and open-ended questions about the domains most affected by their debt and their experiences with it. Quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between total student loan balances and QOL, F = 5.654, df = 3, 12, p = .012, with higher loan balances correlating with lower QOLS scores. Qualitative analysis indicated that PsyD graduates often allocate their financial resources to meet lower-level needs, hindering their ability to achieve self-actualization. This dissatisfaction with material comforts spills over into other life domains, decreasing overall QOL. Further research is needed to identify factors that influence and moderate this relationship.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Examination of the Impact of Graduate Student Loan Balances on Overall Quality of Life Among Clinical Psychologists With PsyD Degrees"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Kristen Newberry, PsyD","Sandra Zakowski, PhD","Joyce Mojica, PsyD"],"dc:creator":["James, Lekai"],"dc:date.available":["2024-06-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Graduate student loan debt in psychology, particularly for those with Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) degrees in clinical psychology, is highly problematic. Previous research has shown that student loan debt negatively impacts quality of life (QOL) by affecting subjective well-being (SWB) and life satisfaction (LS). This study used a convergent parallel mixed method approach, guided by bottom-up spillover theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, to explore the relationship between QOL and total graduate student loan balances, as well as the effects of income and monthly student loan payments on QOL among PsyD graduates. Participants (N = 16) completed a survey with demographic questions, the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), and open-ended questions about the domains most affected by their debt and their experiences with it. Quantitative analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between total student loan balances and QOL, F = 5.654, df = 3, 12, p = .012, with higher loan balances correlating with lower QOLS scores. Qualitative analysis indicated that PsyD graduates often allocate their financial resources to meet lower-level needs, hindering their ability to achieve self-actualization. This dissatisfaction with material comforts spills over into other life domains, decreasing overall QOL. Further research is needed to identify factors that influence and moderate this relationship.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/844"],"dc:subject":["QOL (Quality of Life)","PsyD","graduate student loan debt","psychology","Maslow","bottom-up spillover theory","Clinical Psychology","Growth and Development","Income Distribution","Other Psychology","Other Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"dc:title":["A Convergent Parallel Mixed Methods Examination of the Impact of Graduate Student Loan Balances on Overall Quality of Life Among Clinical Psychologists With PsyD Degrees"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Clinical Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Public Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:20Z"}