My background

I started out as human geographer using large datasets to study wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand, and interventions for suicide prevention in Meanjin Brisbane, Australia.

These days I am mainly using qualitative tools to help organizations understand the experiences and perspectives of the communities they serve, particularly in mental health, wellness, and spirituality spaces.

I have been cited 150+ times in scientific journals, and enjoy connecting and writing with others. I invite you to read a bit more below on my current research.

 

Study 1:

The experiences of ASMR content creators

The need: The scientific community has very little knowledge of how ASMR artists conduct their work, and how various artists view their work. To address this, we are studying the dynamic ways ASMR content creators view, conduct, support, and feel supported by the uniquely kind and caring communities they build on the internet.

The research process: Dr. Naomi Smith and I are collecting interviews on Zoom from ASMR content creators. Our inclusion criteria consist of recruiting ASMR creators who have over 10,000+ followers on YouTube who have been active for a minimum of 1 year. ASMR can include both spoken and non-verbal content, and this project will recruit creators from around the world. We’d love to hear from you!

Example questions from the study:

  • What resources do ASMR creators need to build an audience, for example, social support, material resources, sponsors, the support of other ASMR creators?

  • How do participants understand the constraints and benefits of the social media platforms they use as creators? Is there a noticeable difference between YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok when it comes to the support the platform provides?

  • What role do ASMR creators see themselves as playing in their audiences’ lives?

Study 2:

A UX and Antiracist Suicide Prevention study at California State University, Chico

The need: As a way to openly and safely address suicide prevention, namely the difficulties of navigating medical and education institutions, I am arranging, categorizing and mapping out mental health and wellness resources at California State University, Chico, with the help of student assistants. This project is has been funded through a READI grant from California State University, Chico. READI stands for Research in Equity Antiracism Diversity and Inclusion.

The research process: To begin, a student assistant and I conducted a scoping review of what antiracist suicide prevention currently means in a university context. From this research we found that student voices, experiences, and skills were missing from resource creation at the administrative and academic level (*content creation for faculty and staff). With this knowledge, I then created maps of known resources from informal interviews with mental health and wellness service providers at California State University, Chico. Right now a student assistant and I are establishing a resource map that we will use for UX interviews with key student stakeholders, Fall Semester, 2023.

The map: The physical/pdf map will be likely be published online Summer, 2024. The goal for this project is to create a physical map that faculty, staff, and students can use to approach the topic of suicide prevention and mental health resource attainment (online and in person at California State University, Chico). An emphasis of the map is that we have something tangible made between students, faculty, and staff.

12 publications, 9 peer-reviewed.

  • Smith, N & Snider, A. M. (2023). Healing, Faith and Fear: Church Opening in the United States During COVID-19 Restrictions. Journal of Contemporary Religion: doi: 10.1080/13537903.2023.2206206

  • Snider, A.M. & Smith N. (2021). Spirituality as ‘detachment’ and ‘comfort’ in the context of depression. Journal for the Study of Spirituality. doi: 10.1080/20440243.2021.1922256

  • Snider, A.M. & Smith N. (2020). Recovery from depression: Re-envisioning the connection between recovery and spirituality. Mental Health and Social Inclusion. doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-08-2020-0056 

  • Smith, N & Snider, A. M. (September 2020) ‘The Headphone’ In H. Schulze (ed.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of the Anthropology of Sound, London: Bloomsbury

  • Snider, A.M (2019). Dissertation: A study if the meanings of spirituality in the context of depression. University of Queensland, Australia.

  • Smith, N. & Snider, A. M. (2019). ASMR, affect and digitally-meditated intimacy. Emotion, Space and Society. doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2018.11.002

  • Law, C. K., Snider, A. M., & De Leo, D. (2014). The influence of social deprivation on suicide mortality in urban and rural Queensland: An ecological analysis. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. doi: 10.1007/s00127-014-0905-1. 

  • Snider, A. M., & McPhedran, S. (2014). Religiosity, spirituality, mental health, and mental health treatment outcomes in Australia: A systematic literature review. Mental Health, Religion & Culture. doi: 10.1080/13674676.2013.871240

  • Morrison, P., & Snider, A. M. (2014). The Generation Gap: Age and wellbeing in New Zealand. New Zealand Population Review, 39, 51-75.

  • Barker, E., Snider, A. M., McPhedran, S., & De Leo, D. (2013). Suicide Research: Selected Readings, Volume 9, Australian Academic Press, Bowen Hills, QLD 

  • De Roiste, M., & Snider, A. M. (2012). Blended Learning: Terms, Tools, Effectiveness and Limitations. Journal of International Education and Business, 3(1) 89-107.

  • Snider, A. M. (2011). Youth Suicide, subjective well-being and the role of place in New Zealand. A thesis submitted to Victoria University of Wellington in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science. Victoria University of Wellington.