Digital Commons Network^™

Mental Health And Discipline In California Community Schools, Damien Phillips

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to determine if there is a difference in achievement, absenteeism, graduation rates and suspension for students enrolled in community schools that do and don’t have access to school-based mental health services. In addition, it was the purpose to identify and describe the practices most effective in improving attendance, reduction of suspension, achievement and graduation as perceived by community school employees.

Methodology: This mixed-method dissertation attempted to determine the difference between California county community schools for expelled students who have had access to school-based mental health and those who do not as …

Workplace Violence: An Urgent Call For Integrated Staff Education In Acute Care Hospitals, Nicole Bellisario

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Problem: Type II workplace violence (WPV) in acute care hospital settings has become an epidemic of costly proportions in the United States. Regulatory mandates and healthcare accreditation standards increasingly require healthcare employers to provide a safe and healthy healing environment for patients and a safe work environment for staff. Implementation of a comprehensive WPV prevention program depends largely on organizational culture, participation and commitment from key stakeholders, and readiness for change.

Context: The patient-clinician relationship has drawn urgent attention, as healthcare organizations around the world implement key components of WPV prevention programs. The clinical management of patient aggression …

Exploring Dialogue Journals As A Context For Connecting With And Supporting The Emotional Lives Of Fourth Graders, Samantha Simone Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

About 20 percent of school-aged children, 18 years and younger, struggle with mental health issues in America today. Mental health issues lead to greater rates of suicide, depression, loneliness, anxiety, and bullying that takes place in and out of schools. This exploratory multiple case study looks at how 10 fourth graders, five male and five female, use a weekly entry in a dialogue journal letter to their teacher to share their emotional lives. I explore how a dialogue journal can open up a space between students and teachers for emotional aspects of life and learning to be included in schools. …

An Evaluation Of The Trauma-Informed Approach Implemented At A Title I Elementary School, Aleli Vazquez

Dissertations

An Evaluation of the Trauma-Informed Approach Implemented at a Title I Elementary School assesses the merits of the implementation of an intervention to support the social emotional ability and stability of students within elementary schools; called the Trauma Informed Approach. Many children attending elementary schools bring diverse and complex experiences to the classroom setting. Students with multiple adverse childhood experiences attend the educational system. Many students have a more difficult time concentrating and succeeding due to anxiety and lack of physiological needs being met. These needs must be met to secure positive learning gains for these students.

For data gathering …

How Can Social Emotional Learning Be Improved During Distance Learning?, Morgan Horn

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Social emotional learning (SEL) is an important aspect of school that does not get enough attention. Many teachers are currently focused on academics instead of how their students are handling the stress of COVID-19 and distance learning. The focus issue addressed in this capstone project is SEL in the online classroom during COVID-19. An argument is made that distance learning causes a higher rate of mental health problems in students in all grade levels. Considerations of the issue should include the perspectives of teachers, parents, and students. The three action options that emerged from an analysis of the data included: …

Fishing Without A Pole: Experiences And Insights Of Adults Working To Prevent Youth Suicide In A Low-Income, High-Rate State, Victoria L. Waugh-Reed

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study explores the underrepresented perspective of suicide preventionists in the state of New Mexico, their experiences and insights surrounding the prevention of youth suicide. I present these in narrative form; the primary method of investigation was purposeful, individual interviews with an initial and follow-up interviews. Preventionists in New Mexico face the enormous task of reducing historically high youth suicide rates when compared with the rest of the nation; additionally, New Mexico is a rural state that exhibits a complex mix of risk and resiliency factors. I invited participants to discuss their experiences, share barriers to their work, offer success …

Implementing Innovative Mental Health Supports And Services At A Post-Secondary Institution, Adam K. Lawrence

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

In 2020, the Government of Ontario published a report entitled In It Together: Foundations for Promoting Mental Wellness in Campus Communities. This document outlines that the priority of post-secondary institutions should be the health and well-being of students by ensuring that students receive the supports they need to be successful. Most importantly, the document outlines a community approach needed for students to access mental health supports and services on their campuses. Many post-secondary students are becoming increasingly aware of their own mental health needs prior to enrolling at university or college. This has resulted in a culture on post-secondary …

Building A Co-Curricular Wellness Program For Medical Students At A Canadian Medical School, Renea D. Leskie

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

The increasing number of medical students who present with mental illness and burnout is becoming a very real challenge among medical schools nationally and globally, prompting a need for medical schools to address this very real problem. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) seeks to help solve this problem by means of a co-curricular wellness program aimed at preventing mental illness and burnout from happening. Rather than being reactive as students self-identify as having a mental illness, this OIP argues for preventative measures that help to prevent mental illness and burnout from occurring at all.

Using a three-pronged leadership approach of …

First-Gen Mental Health: The Experiences Of First-Generation Graduate Students At The University Of San Diego, Edith Mendez

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Higher education professionals can better support struggling students by having more of an awareness of their experiences and how their mental health is related to the identities they hold. As a first-generation Latina college student, I am reminded of my own experiences and struggles, which impacted my sense of belonging and academic success. My action research responds to the question: "What are the mental health concerns that first-generation students studying at the University of San Diego (USD) encounter?" After making changes to my research because of unforeseen circumstances, I designed a study focusing on graduate students with cycles consisting of …

Effects Of A Well-Being Retreat On College Students, William Wikoff Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health scores on college campuses often seem to be spiraling in a downward trend. College students frequently cite be more depressed and more anxious than the rest of the population, and they are also at a higher risk for suicide than other members of society (Beiter et al., 2016; Davidson, 2016; Henriques, 2014; Holland, 2016; Mey, 2015). Rowan University's recent Rowan Thrive initiative is a cross-campus collaboration that sets out to improve students' well-being through education and programming with a host of programs under its umbrella. One of these programs is the Recharge & Connect Retreat, a 3-day and …

Leadership Change For Athletic Academic Advisors Serving Student-Athletes With Self-Reported Mental Health Issues, Tyler Schoh

Leadership Education Capstones

Athletic academic advisors find themselves in conversations about the personal lives and issues of student-athletes as mental health issues become more prevalent in college athletics. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of athletic academic advisors serving student-athletes with self-reported mental health issues in relation to leadership styles, traits, and strategies. This study involved interviewing current athletic academic advisors who are affiliated with NCAA Division I or Division II schools. Geographically, the sample included athletic academic advisors in the Midwest. All of the sample participants have earned a master’s degree.

The interviews were analyzed with the Constant …

Exploring School Counseling Students’ Unpaid Internship Experiences In Their Personal Lives, Tatiana Eggum

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Research by Foss and Kelly, that graduate students face specific challenges in their lives due to multiple roles that they partake in as a student, professional, and family member (2017). The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the impact of unpaid internships on school counseling students’ personal lives by asking about their financial, social, and emotional experiences. The research focuses on school counseling students that are in an accredited program by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and are currently participating in an unpaid internship. After seven days the survey was deactivated and …

Consequences Of Student Mental Health Issues In Schools, Karla Roque-Franco

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

As time goes by, students with mental health issues are on the rise. Students who have mental health issues face a variety of different consequences. The consequences vary from mild to severe, and that suicide being the most severe consequence. Students suffer from depression, anxiety, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are only some of the few of the mental health issues that students face. As a common long-term consequence, these three different mental health issues may result in suicide when they do not receive the proper care. Schools and teachers could work together to bring awareness to mental health issues. Incorporating mental …

Importance Of Mental Health Awareness In Schools, Alexandra Elliott

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

We all have different experiences and beliefs that shape our perspectives and impact our mental health. The concept of mental health exists in Western civilization but is absent in others, so it is important to be sensitive when discussing the terminology of mental health by itself. There is ample evidence of a disproportionate amount of mental health issues among people living in low-income areas due to lack of resources in these communities. In fact, mental health resources are disproportionately accessible to white, affluent individuals in Western civilization. This senior capstone research project is intended to find ways to reach new …

Achieving Positive Mental Health And Academic Achievement For Students With Behavioral And Emotional Issues In Elementary School, Reynalda Fuentes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Elementary students, their peers, and teachers today are being affected by emotional and behavioral issues that some students struggle with at school. In order to understand why it is affecting their academic achievement and mental health, this report answers the following research questions to investigate how these problems affect schools, classrooms, and teachers, as well as what appears to be contributing factors to this problem, and what are some of the solutions. In review of the literature on preventions and interventions placed at elementary schools the research shows that frameworks such as The Multi-tiered System of Supports, and the incorporation …

Exploring The Use Of Mental Health Services And Programs At A Historically Black College: A Case Study, Stacey D. Wilson

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Research shows students’ use of counseling programs and services to address the mental health needs of their student body on HBCU campuses are underdocumented. This qualitative descriptive single case study was developed to provide substantiated conclusions on this use that can be added to the current literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate participants’ perceptions on the use of these services, and the strategies used to influence the use of these services, on one HBCU campus. This study was guided by two research questions: (a) What are the perceptions of the counseling center staff, faculty, and students of …

Indigenous Wisdom, Storytelling, And Language Renewal Ꭰꮒᏸꭺꭹ, Ꭰꮒᏼꮻꮿ Ꭰꭷꮩꭵꭿꮝꮧ Ꭴꮒꭽ, Ꭰꮴꭿꮠꮧᏹ Ꭶꮼꮒꭿꮝꮧ, Arlo Starr

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Abstract ᎧᏃᎮᏍᎩ

Language, cultural immersion, and intergenerational land-based education have shown the potential to vastly improve dire health issues that Indigenous people face. What is the most effective way to produce a large number of second language learners who speak at a basic level in order to improve Indigenous health?

Relationship is a vital part of Indigenous cosmology. Rather than promoting the consumption of words as things, acquisition will be more readily integrated into relationship-based thought when also interacting with them in context through story, and cultural activities that are fun, understandable, and engage community. Many successful language immersion models …

Structured And Unstructured Movement In Elementary School Classrooms: Effects On Student Performance, Savannah E. Watson

Honors Theses

Research has shown the benefits of movement for adults and children alike. Not only are there physical benefits to movement, including physical fitness and health, there are also mental benefits. In this study, the researchers sought to discover how movement impacts student performance on exit slips and assessments given during a unit of instruction.

Change The Conversation: A Study Of Mental Health Education And College Aged Students Attitudes’ Towards Mental Illness, Bryan J. Landgren

Community Engagement Student Work

Researchers have found that public opinion of people who are mentally ill or struggle with their own mental health are often negative. This project was created in an effort to determine the most efficient way to engage people in conversations about mental health and the stigma that encompasses such a conversation. What happens when mental health struggles are visible and supported through open and honest communication? What happens when they are not? The workshop Change the Conversation: Attitudes Towards Mental Health aimed to close the gap surrounding mental health education on a college campus and promote the necessity of understanding …

Mental Health Needs In Schools As Predictors Of Burnout In School Counselors, Sondra Junek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found an increasing number of students with mental health issues, and

school counselors are often the first resource available to students. School counselors are

faced with many job duties including supporting students’ academic, career, and

emotional needs. Maintaining these duties of school counseling can increase stress and

lead to burnout. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine mental health

needs, mental health knowledge, and mental health skills as predictors of each of the

three subscales of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal

accomplishment) among early, middle, and late career school counselors. Lazarus and

Folkman’s transactional theory …

The Influences Of School Counselors' Professional Development On Their Comfort Levels Addressing Mental Health And Substance Use, Megan Lynne Hines

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an investigation of the comfort levels of school counselors to address PK-12 students’ mental health and substance use concerns. While incidents of bullying and school shootings rise it is unclear how school counselors’ professional development has influenced their level of comfort identifying and addressing PK-12 students’ mental health and substance use concerns. Accordingly, this quantitative descriptive survey examined school counselors’ recognition of mental health and substance use symptoms, frequency of encounter, and whether their developmental stages influenced their comfort levels in addressing students’ mental health and substance use concerns. Rønnestad and Skovholt’s counselor development model was the …

Eating Disorders And The Gap Of Education, Sara Jane Camden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Eating disorders are described as excessive dieting, limiting food intake, and withholding of food. Over 30 million people suffer from eating disorders. Some people may also have preconceived notions that this disease is easily fixable and that eating more and stopping dieting will solve the problem. Registered nurses struggle with having preconceived ideas, a lack of confidence in their assessment skills, and fear of using the eating disorder diagnosis. Barriers that have surrounded the eating disorder mental health disease need to be addressed. The staff development project was based on the question if nursing knowledge would improve on eating disorders …

Motivators That Influence Canine Handlers To Volunteer In Animal Assisted Activities, Gina Marie Fisher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Animal-assisted activity (AAA) programs support various mental health or health-related concerns. Little research has studied why individuals are motivated to volunteer in animal-assisted therapy programs; no studies have addressed what motivational factors influence individuals to become an AAA volunteer. This quantitative investigation used functional motivational theory and attachment theory to uncover the motivations of these volunteers. Certain motives were primed with cues to understand key influences among the 186 individuals selected by convenience sampling through a therapy animal organization. Data were collected through an online survey in which the participants answered a series of essay type questions, some of which …

Job Stress Effects On Job Satisfaction And Attrition In 9-1-1 Call Centers, Damarys Jaile Gilligan

Theses and Dissertations

In 9-1-1 call centers across the nation the personnel shortage has become a crisis. The nature of the job of a 9-1-1 telecommunicator is stressful due to the high volume of emergency calls. This applied dissertation was designed to learn if there is a relationship between job stress, burnout levels, and job satisfaction in 9-1-1 telecommunicators. This was a nonexperimental quantitative survey research with a correlational approach. The population was a nonprobability convenience sample recruited through the Survey Monkey Audience platform. Data was collected at one point in time. A total of 37 participants took part in the study. All …

Female Collegiate Student Athletes And The Perception, Attitudes And Experiences Of Psychological And Mental Health Services, Breonna Bejaran

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study explored eighteen National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II female student athletes’ experiences and opinions of help seeking for mental health concerns. A mixed methodological design was used. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected to gain an understanding of help seeking barriers for the participant and their beliefs about help seeking barriers for their peers. Results from the qualitative data identified several themes that assisted in understanding help seeking behaviors. Data suggest that there was a lack of motivation when it came to seek mental health services as a whole by the female student athlete population. Time, lack …

Workplace Dynamics: Exploring Views, Impressions, And Preferences Of Colleagues With Diverse Backgrounds And Attributes, Emily Harris Broadhurst

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The general purpose of this study is to better understand stigmatized views of mental health conditions in the current social climate. In order to assess changes in current stigma levels, valid measurement tools are needed to make more accurate assessments. Many existing tools used to assess stigma levels present validity issues due to reporting bias, specifically social desirability bias. Researchers suggest that purposefully omitting diagnostic labeling helps to eliminate biased answers. In order to measure stigmatizing beliefs while minimizing the threat of social desirability, this study utilized an experimental design that compared mental health conditions with medical conditions. The Adjusted …

Fall Reading Week: Exploring The Effects On Student Well-Being, Roobina Medhizadah

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Mental health is a concerning issue in post-secondary institutions across Ontario. Post-secondary students are challenged with many stressors such as time management and living independently for the first time (Wagner & Rhee, 2013). In an attempt to help students, maintain or improve their mental health, universities across Ontario have implemented fall reading week, a mid-semester break (Poole et al., 2017). Previous studies (Cramer & Pschibul, 2017; Poole et al., 2017) provided mixed results in whether fall reading week positively influences student mental health and well-being. To date, few studies have explored the influence of fall reading week on student health …

Predicting Academic Outcomes Of Reinstated Technical College Students Following An Academic Suspension, Erica E. Stene Winkler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study explored the academic outcomes of two-year college students who were reinstated following an academic suspension at a small, Midwestern technical college. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors that were predictive of student reinstatement outcomes (reinstatement success or reinstatement nonsuccess). The analysis included independent variables of age, gender, cumulative quality point status, term of dismissal quality point status, and evidence of a mental health concern. As an independent variable, evidence of a mental health concern was dichotomous (yes or no) and a qualitative review of suspension appeal paperwork submitted by students was used to identify any self-reported …