Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Literature On Art Therapy Interventions In Mitigating The Negative Effects Of Loneliness In College Students, Molly Hoekman

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Experiences of loneliness and social isolation among college students pose a concern for emerging adults’ mental and physical health, as well as greater impacts on university systems across the country. While social isolation and loneliness are subjective experiences, there are a range of factors rooted in developmental psychology and sociocultural theory that influence the rising rates and acuity of loneliness. Attachment theorists posit that secure attachment early in life can impact how individuals make lasting interpersonal connections long after their childhood. Secure and insecure attachment styles combined with the dramatic transition to college for a young adult are influencing factors …

The Impact Of Eye-Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing On Self-Reported Test Anxiety In College Students, Renee Wilson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Test Anxiety (TA) has become a major concern for college students. Experiencing mental concern about test-taking perpetuated by physiological hyperarousal directly affects students’ ability to be successful in college. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a multi-faceted therapeutic approach that aims to process dysfunctional negative cognitions which originate with negative past experiences to an adaptive state. Developed by Francine Shapiro in 1989, the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model undergirds the 30-second, therapist-initiated, bi-lateral eye-movements. These movements identify and reprocess emotionally disturbing experiences, linked to an individual’s emotional expression, by deliberatively triggering a connected trauma network. This dissertation examined the …

Decreasing Stress Through An Emotion Regulation And Non-Judging Based Intervention With Trauma-Exposed College Students, Megan Cherry

Doctoral Dissertations

Among college students, trauma and PTSD symptomatology are associated with negative consequences (e.g., poor academic performance, stress sensitivity, and negative coping). College is often a stressful time, and those who have experienced trauma, particularly those experiencing PTSD symptoms, are vulnerable to heightened stress sensitivity and negative outcomes. It is imperative to identify interventions that decrease stress for trauma-exposed college students to reduce the deleterious effects of related outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine whether emotion regulation and non-judgment could be enhanced in trauma-exposed college students through a short, mindfulnessbased intervention, and whether the intervention would lead to …

Ethnoracial Comparisons In Psychotherapy Outcomes Among Native Hawaiian And Pacific Islander College Students, Jared Isaac Cline

Theses and Dissertations

Variables such as stigma, weak ethnic identity, and cultural mistrust have been linked to the underutilization of therapy amongst ethnic minority populations. As such, ethnic minority populations may reach a higher threshold of distress-including areas such as anxiety and depression-before seeking professional help. While there is substantial research documenting ethnic differences among various ethnic minority populations (e.g., African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics) very little research has been conducted exploring differences among individuals from Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) backgrounds. For the current study, we explored differences in distress upon intake as well as the change in anxiety and depression …

The Relationship Between Loneliness, Stress, And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, I'Esha Baber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the misuse of alcohol among college students remains a public health concern in the United States, students are participating in problematic drinking for various reasons. Loneliness and stress have both been associated with the reasoning behind why some college students participate in heavy drinking. Studies show that students who perceive themselves as under a lot of stress tend to drink more and that students who feel they need to overcome structural and emotional barriers such as loneliness and shyness, use alcohol as a resource. This paper examines the relationship between alcohol consumption, loneliness, and stress. Sixteen students, who attended …

Coping And Africultural Adolescents, Britne R. Amos

Dissertations

The present study explored approaches to coping among Africultural, college students between the ages of 18 and 22 years. Coping strategies applied to Africultural adolescents and young adults have been studied from a majority culture, adult lens. In this context, Africultural is used to refer to people of self-identified African descent including and not limited to people who identify as African American (e.g., parent(s) were born in America, individual was born in America), of African descent and living in America (e.g., parents were born in Africa, individual was born in Africa), mixed African American and another ethnic group including Latino/a, …

Lived Experience Of College Students Who Reduced Their Alcohol Consumption, Devin L. Jordan

Dissertations

Research has indicated that college students who experience alcohol-related problems may reduce their alcohol consumption without treatment (Alexander & Bowen, 2004; Barnett, Goldstein, Murphy, Colby, & Monti, 2006; Blume, Marlatt, & Schmaling, 2000; McNally & Palfai, 2001). However, the literature regarding their overall experience before, during, and after this self-initiated change process is limited. This qualitative study investigated the lived experience of eight college students between the ages of 18 and 25 who reduced their alcohol consumption for a period of at least 30 days after experiencing alcohol-related problems. Participants had never met the diagnostic criteria for a “severe” substance …

Dominican College Students’ Experiences Of Distress, Help-Seeking And Stigma, Laura Alicia Pacheco Del Castillo

Dissertations

The Dominican Republic has a population of over 10 million, from which an estimated 20% fall within the age range of 10 to 19 years old (OECD, 2012). The provision of education, particularly for Dominican youth, has been established as a long-term social and economic priority at the government level (OECD, 2012; Pimentel, 2002). Nevertheless, research suggests that education and health management in the Dominican Republic have been historically inadequate and insufficient (Schumacher, 2010; Vargas-Lundius, 1991). Further research is warranted to better understand Dominican students’ mental health experiences as they attempt to succeed in formal learning environments (Schumacher, 2010).

Furthermore, …

Digital Natives: The Nature Of Technology On College Student Mental Health, Nicole Crump

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Anxiety and depression are consistent issues experienced amongst college student populations in the United States (American College Health Association, 2013). However, there is limited research on what contributes to the cause of increased student reports of anxiety and depression. While there are many contributing factors to a student’s experience of anxiety and depression, little to no research has looked at the effect of social media and nature on college student anxiety and depression. The researcher has provided a literature review on the benefits and barriers of nature and technology use on college student’s health. The researcher conducted a multivariate correlational …

Assessing The Needs Of Students Identified With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder At Minnesota State University, Mankato, Jenny A. Goff

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A considerable number of students with a diagnosis of ADHD are represented within the Minnesota State University, Mankato student population. Research indicates that college students with an ADHD diagnosis face unique and challenging experiences in the collegiate environment. In addition to these unique stressors, research indicates that college students with ADHD may benefit from supportive services that can be offered in a University Counseling Center. A survey of the perceived needs for counseling services and utilization of counseling services among students identified with ADHD at MSU, Mankato is useful in determining current trends and informs future Counseling Center service planning.

Minnesota State University Mankato Counseling Center: Needs Assessment Survey Of College Student Parents, Katherine S. Fitzkappes

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The Needs Assessment Survey of Student Parents was an exploratory study of descriptive data gathered from college students who are also parents. This study surveyed a sample of student parents at Minnesota State University Mankato. Student parents were asked to complete a confidential on-line survey of questions regarding their demographic information, their psychosocial needs, and their knowledge of The Counseling Center services. Data analysis revealed that, as a group, the respondents indicated their highest psychosocial needs to be in the areas of stress management, feeling burned out and financial concerns. The lowest expressed needs were in the categories of substance …

The Relationship Between Stress And Humor With Asian College Students, Michelle Kristine Jordan

Student Work

The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction of humor and stress in the Asian students in the University o f Nebraska’s International Language Learning Program (ILUNO). Intensive language students completed self-report questionnaires measuring stress and humor. The Spearman correlation revealed that humor has no significant impact on stress experienced by the Asian students. When the level of humor was high, stress symptoms were high.