Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Time Spent On Social Media And Its Effects On Mental Health In Terms Of Body Image Concerns, Self Esteem And Overall Quality Of Life Among U.S. Adults, Rigel Macarena Pinon

Theses and Dissertations

Daily exposure and dependence on computer-based technologies (smartphones) allows for 24/7 constant access to social media (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and other sites) and has empirically shown to have a positive and negative impact on the mental health of individuals across cultures in our society. Depending on user intent, exposure, and interests, social media platforms can create a sense of community; however, some of the platforms and what users post about themselves has led to cyberbullying, low self-esteem, user addiction, suicide, self-harm behaviors such as eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, and other mental health issues such as depression and …

Mental Health Help-Seeking Behaviors And Service Utilization Of Black College Students, Troy J. Keys

Theses and Dissertations

Black college students are less likely to seek mental health services compared to other students. While previous research has identified barriers and facilitators contributing to Black college students’ help-seeking behaviors, the current political and social climate and pandemic have negatively impacted their mental health thus warranting the exploration of these factors again. This study aimed to identify the mental health help-seeking behaviors and attitudes of Black college students, the barriers and supports for help-seeking behaviors, their preferred service utilization providers, and their thoughts about promoting mental health help-seeking among their peers. Black college students (n = 21) enrolled at an …

Sustaining Breaths For Restorative Rest: A Preliminary Evaluation Of Sleep, Mental Health, And Cognitive Function Following Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation For Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Elliottnell Perez

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder that produces repetitive obstruction or collapse of the upper airway. Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the gold standard treatment for OSA. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) is considered an alternative treatment for patients who are unable to tolerate PAP therapy. The purpose of the study was to examine sleep, mental health, and cognitive health outcomes before and after HNS to determine its viability as an alternative treatment.

Methods: The study utilized a single-group, pretest-posttest design. Objective and subjective sleep was measured using actigraphy, sleep diary, and questionnaires. Objective and subjective …

Mental Health Needs Among Latina Migrant Farmworkers In The State Of Wisconsin - A Colonial Legacy, Maria Del Carmen Graf

Theses and Dissertations

Latinos have an increased risk for mental health problems due to several factors, including immigration, socio-economic and cultural barriers (Espeleta et al., 2019). Besides mental health risk factors such as gender, lower education attainment, and poverty (Espeleta et al., 2019), Latina migrant farmworkers also face the demands of their domestic roles, which result in work-family conflicts and stress (Arcury et al., 2018). Furthermore, persistent stigma perpetuated primarily by poor health literacy and traditional cultural perceptions and beliefs about mental health hinders their decision to seek mental health treatment (Lopez et al., 2018). To date, there are no scholarly works published …

Sleep Self-Efficacy, Loneliness, And Physical Activity: Assessing The Pathways Between Sleep Quality And Mental Health Using Structural Equation Modeling, Amber M. Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Although there is robust empirical support that poor sleep contributes to declines in mental health, explanations of this relationship remain unclear. The purpose of the present study was to examine the pattern of associations between sleep quality, sleep self-efficacy, loneliness, physical activity, and mental health among U.S. adults across the lifespan, and whether they differed by gender or age group. A structural equation model with invariance analysis was developed and examined data from 2,300 adults (M_age = 44.1, SD = 16.78) participating in the online study Investigating Sleep Longitudinally Across Normal Development (ISLAND). Sleep quality was measured by …

Understanding College Student Emotional Functioning During Covid-19, Dominique Marie Giroux

Theses and Dissertations

The novel coronavirus has resulted in mass infection and death. To prevent spread of the virus, colleges and universities shut down and transitioned to remote learning, which mandated all college students to leave residential housing and relocate to a permanent address. Previous literature suggests college students who experienced housing displacement due to a natural disaster reported heightened distress and poorer overall functioning (Davis, Grills-Taquechel, & Ollendick, 2010). Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, college student mental health was deemed a public health concern, however, it is expected to worsen following the outbreak (Galea, Merchant, & Lurie, 2020). Researchers suggest peer support …

The Role Of Community Belongingness In The Mental Health And Well-Being Of Black Lgbtq Adults, Keith Justin Watts

Theses and Dissertations

The impact of racial and sexual minority stigma, prejudice, and discrimination on the mental health and well-being of Black and LGBTQ individuals, respectively, has been well documented in the literature. Research on these relationships for Black LGBTQ individuals who are multiply marginalized due to their position at the social intersections of gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity is less common. Belongingness to identity-based communities can protect against the negative impact of these minority stressors for Black and LGBTQ individuals and aid coping processes. However, Black LGBTQ individuals often experience stigma and discrimination in their racial, sexual, and gender minority communities …

Strengthening Mental Health Diagnostic Detection In Integrated Primary Care, Julia Brechbiel

Theses and Dissertations

Primary care behavioral health (PCBH) is crucial for providing mental health treatment to underserved, minority, and uninsured populations. There is a lack of knowledge about accurate mental health diagnoses at PCBH. Underdetection of mental health symptoms has the potential to worsen racial and socioeconomic disparities. Using an expert review process, I developed an abbreviated diagnostic clinical interview (ADCI) for integrated primary care. Next, patients (N = 82) completed the interview after attending PCBH appointments. According to the interview, 63.4% of participants met criteria for a diagnosis, while 64.7% received a diagnosis from their provider. A large portion of patients …

Modeling Substance Use And Mental Disorder Comorbidity Using Latent Variable And Network Approaches, Courtney T. Blondino

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Substance use disorder (SUD) is a common condition that affects millions of Americans. Addressing SUD has been complicated by comorbid mental disorders and co-occurring substance use. Consequently, detailing and addressing SUD and comorbid SUD represent an important goal to improve the health of Americans.

Objective. The research goal of this dissertation was to characterize the comorbidity between substance use, including tobacco use, and mental disorder symptoms measured as negative affect and externalizing symptoms in a population-based sample using latent variable and network approaches.

Methods. Waves 1 – 3 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study were used. …

“Is Therapy For Me?” Perceptions Of Therapy Inclusivity And Willingness To Seek Help Among Black Emerging Adults, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health issues are prevalent among Black emerging adults; however, they tend to underutilize mental healthcare services. The goals of the current study were to examine whether: (1) perceived therapy inclusivity would predict willingness to utilize mental healthcare services and (2) the relationship between perceived therapy inclusivity and willingness would be moderated by two indices of racial identity (i.e., centrality and private regard). Results provide evidence that greater perceptions of therapy inclusivity are associated with greater willingness to seek mental health services even after controlling for factors, such as gender, self-stigma, and previous mental healthcare utilization. Additionally, there was no …

The Intersection Of Social Stress, Mental Well-Being, And Sexual Health Among Black Women In Emerging Adulthood, Brandi Galloway

Theses and Dissertations

With an estimated 37,000 new HIV infections each year, HIV continues to be a major public health concern. HIV affects some populations more than others. Young Black women, in particular, are disproportionately affected by HIV. While being a woman does not typically increase a person’s HIV risk, being Black and being a woman does.

Data indicate that individual-level factors do not fully address the differences in HIV and STIs between Black emerging adult women and their White counterparts. Thus, it is critical to better understand contextual factors such as social stress and mental-wellbeing which might better account for these disparities. …

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 …

Cost Of Caring: The Effects Of Euthanasia On Animal Shelter Workers, Kim L. Nguyen-Finn

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods study focuses on animal shelter workers, a population that has often been overlooked in research and clinical practice, and the emotional strains of the task of euthanasia. The effects of employment in a kill or no-kill shelter, participation in euthanasia, and number of years employed on mental health issues of substance abuse, anxiety, depression, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout were examined. A three-way MANOVA was run to test the hypothesis that there is a cell effect among the type of shelter employed in, participation in euthanasia, and years of experience on mental health, which was not supported by …

The Influence Of Therapist-Patient Religious/Spiritual Congruence On Satisfaction With Therapy: A Review Of Research, Tammy E. Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this review was to examine the relationship between mental health and religion and/or spirituality. Specifically, it was believed that religion and spiritual congruence had a positive influence on satisfaction with therapy. Indeed, the literature reviewed suggests that therapists should be more open to addressing a patient's religious and/or spiritual beliefs as it could lead to more attuned therapeutic sessions. The importance of congruence between patient and therapist is a factor that can impact the therapeutic alliance, based on the literature, this concept appears to hold true for those that are or are not religiously and/or spiritually inclined.

Overwhelmed: A Qualitative Study Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Mothers Of Minor Children After Release From Jail And Prison, Ann Elizabeth Stanton

Theses and Dissertations

Mass incarceration in US jails and prisons is a major public health concern. Over one million women are released from US jails and prisons each year. Incarcerated women experience disproportionately high rates of mental health issues and most incarcerated women are mothers of minor children. Mothers of minor children who leave jails and prisons with mental health issues face increased risks of experiencing substance use, risky behaviors, homelessness, and recidivism. Their children are also at increased risk for adverse mental health, behavioral, and social outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the mental health experiences of mothers of …

Disordered: Conversations About Mental Health And Society, Rachel Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Disordered is a collaborative, participatory street art project designed to destigmatize mental health challenges like depression and anxiety, and reframe health as a societal issue. Through social practice and guerrilla strategies, Disordered intervenes in public spaces, creating conversations, stickers and metal signs to inspire personal, social and political transformations.

The Role Of Afrocentric Features In Mental Healthcare Utilization And Counselor Preferences In Black College Students, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Though mental health issues are prevalent in Black young adults, they underutilize mental healthcare services. This research examined the role of feature-based discrimination in mental healthcare (under)utilization. Study 1, a secondary analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, provided no evidence supporting a link between skin tone and mental healthcare utilization, when controlling for depression diagnosis. However, when controlling for depression symptoms, there was a trend such that Black young adults with darker, as opposed to lighter, skin tone utilized healthcare less. Study 2, an experimental study with 33 Black college students, showed 73% of the …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Treating Oppositional Defiant Disorder: A Comparison By Treatment Modality And Mental Health Provider Type, Julie Denise Malloy

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the treatment outcomes for Oppositional Defiant Disorder by provider license type and therapy modality. Administrative data from Cigna Insurance Company for 9,904 ODD cases were analyzed to determine the cost, number of sessions, dropout rates, and recidivism rates for treatment of ODD. Descriptive statistics indicate that the mean cost of treatment for ODD across all professions is $389.83. Analyses revealed significant differences in total cost by profession, as well as cost per session for different license types with counselors providing therapy for the lowest average total cost, followed by MFTs, MSWs, Psychologists and then MDs. Chi square …

Investigating Developmental Patterns Of Symptom And Impairment Change Among Youth With Adhd, Subthreshold Adhdand Youth Without Adhd, Lorie Love Geryk

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction. Despite a substantial prevalence of subthreshold Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and research indicating that many youth with this disorder have impaired functioning and negative outcomes, few studies have considered patterns of symptom and functioning change for youth with probable ADHD, subthreshold ADHD and youth without ADHD transitioning from childhood to adolescence. Additionally, we are not aware of any studies examining predictors of impairment severity among youth with subthreshold ADHD, and few studies have examined predictors of treatment utilization and patterns of symptom and functioning change based on medication status for youth with subthreshold ADHD compared to youth with ADHD. Methods. …

Impact Of Combat Stress On Mental Health Outcomes: Brfss Survey Data 2006, Emily Pedneau

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives: This study sought to determine the relationship between combat experience and mental health outcomes. The study sought to determine whether age was a significant factor in poor mental health outcomes. Methods: Multiple logistic regression (n = 195,048) and multiple linear regression (n = 264,154) were performed on the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Veteran status and a host of demographic and health status questions were analyzed in relation to diagnosis of anxiety or depressive disorder (multiple logistic regression) and to number of days poor mental health (multiple linear regression). Results: Diagnosis of anxiety or depression was …