Digital Commons Network^™

The Impacts Of Loyola Marymount’S Summer Arts Workshop From The Perspective Of The Adult Facilitators, Alexandria C. Loiseau

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study looks at the Summer Arts Workshop (SAW) and its impacts on the adult facilitators that are involved in the workshop’s programming and implementation. The study seeks to gain an understanding of how the workshop could be improved in order to strengthen the workshop so that its adolescent participants could continue to benefit from attending it. The research question is: What are the impacts of a therapeutically informed summer arts workshop/camp with adolescents according to participants? Strengths? Space for improvements? This study is a qualitative approach utilizing a semi-structured interview. The analysis of the data from the four interviews …

Neighborhoods And Mental Health: Understanding The Social, Environmental And Structural Factors To Better Support Our Youth And Communities, Meghan Murtagh

Community Engagement Student Work

The social, structural and environmental characteristics of neighborhoods can have a significant impact on the social, emotional, behavioral and cognitive development of children and adolescents. The Center for Disease Control reports every 1 out of 5 children (22%) living below 100% of the federal poverty level have a mental, behavioral and/or developmental disorder (CDC, 2019). Through the utilization of ecological frameworks and a “place” based framework called The Social Determinates of Health, research was conducted to examine the link between neighborhoods and health outcomes in children and adolescents. These findings were then shared through a workshop with the target audience …

Childhood Anxiety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy And/Or Pharmacological Treatment, Jennifer S. Mccarthy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Objective: Evaluate best practice in managing anxiety in the pediatric population, including both school age children and adolescents. This literature review compared pharmacological treatment and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)’s effectiveness on the management of anxiety within the pediatric population.

Background: Up to 25% of children in the United States are affected by a mental health disorder, anxiety being the most prevalent. Childhood anxiety can have a distressing impact on social, family, and academic functioning. If persisting into adulthood it increases the risk of developing other co-occurring mental health conditions, substance abuse issues, and contributes to impaired employment retention and socioeconomic …

Search For The Cause Of Vaping Associated Lung Injury In Adolescents, Alexandra E. Krueger

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In August 2019 an unexplained, exponential rise in severe respiratory illnesses in previously healthy young adults, swept across America catching the attention of medical providers. Hospital admissions for lung injury increased 10-fold over two months’ time leaving practitioners scrambling for answers. All affected patients were found to have used e-cigarettes prior to symptoms and endorsed using nicotine and marijuana vape pens. The medical community quickly began to search for the cause of these vaping associated lung injuries. Understanding the mechanism of injury is important in order to assist in educating the public about the risks associated with e-cigarettes. The aim …

Patterns Of Problem Behaviours Among A Representative Sample Of Youth In Ontario, Chantal Williams

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Behavioural addictions among adolescents are becoming a growing public health concern. It is well established that problem behaviours, particularly substance use behaviours, tend to cluster together. Some research indicates that gambling is associated with substance use, aligning with Problem Behaviour Theory, which suggests that problem behaviours stem from an underlying disposition toward deviance. This study sought to assess whether a) behavioural addictions, including gambling, video gaming and technology use, cluster together and with substance use and b) profiles of problem behaviours are associated with age, race, socioeconomic status, grade achievement, school connectedness, and antisocial behaviour in the total sample and …

Digital Music Making: Developing A Method For Using Technology In Music Psychotherapy, Sangeetha Kavety

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

The use of technology, specifically digital songwriting and music making, in the context of psychotherapy is a subject that is not yet as well researched or practiced in the field of music therapy. The majority of the existing literature acknowledges the assistive function that technology such as tablets, smartphones, and computers can play in treatment of populations with cognitive and motor difficulties. However, there is little regarding the use of technology as the main means of creating music, and even less in the context of treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents in family settings. For this capstone project, …

Integrating Digital App Technologies Within Traditional Expressive Arts Therapy For Children And Adolescents, Sarah Storjohann

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

In recent years, technology in the form of digital applications (apps) has emerged as a fundamental aspect of everyday life as well as a practical, convenient, and inexpensive tool for artistic self-expression, most notably amongst children and adolescents. Ninety-eight percent of U.S. households currently possess some form of mobile device (Rideout, 2017), with an estimated 95% of U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 owning a Smartphone (Anderson & Jiang, 2018). As digital natives, children and adolescents are more likely to identify with and connect to these arts-based methods. Clinician perspective concerning digital integration varies across a wide spectrum. Through a …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Peer Engagement And Knowledge (Peak): A Community-Based Group Intervention For Youth In Hawai‘I, Jennifer T. T. Ho

Doctoral Dissertations

This study is a program evaluation with a mixed methods design that evaluated the effectiveness of Peer Engagement and Knowledge (PEAK), a six-week community-based group intervention that incorporates mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to address multiple health behaviors for multiracial youth in Hilo, Hawai‘i. A total of 51 youth, ages 12-23 years old, participated in this study which included pre-/posttest analyses of health risk factors such as substance use and depression and health promoting factors such as resilience, self-esteem, and mindfulness. Responses from two subsets of participants, who engaged in a focus group (n = 11) and composed gratitude letters ( …

The Effects Of Dance And Movement Therapy With Adolescents Who Have Experienced Trauma, A Literature Review, Katherine Anderson

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

With the growing number of trauma-informed practices in the mental health field, it is necessary to look at what best practices should be implemented in treating adolescents who have experienced trauma, specifically from a body-based intervention, such as dance and movement therapy. In this literature review, articles are discussed that encompass the following topics: dance and movement therapy and trauma, general dance interventions for the adolescent population, empowerment models as a way to cope with trauma symptoms, and cultural considerations of treating adolescent females of color. The gaps in current research must be acknowledged, specifically dance and movement therapy interventions …

Mindfulness-Based Interventions For Adolescents With Cancer And Teen Cancer Survivors, Daniela Ramirez-Ibarra

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Adolescence is a significant period for identity construction and self development (Jones, Blunda, Biegel, Carlson, Biel, & Wiener., 2013). This critical development period is quickly disrupted for adolescents with cancer. With the challenges of undergoing cancer treatment, come abnormal daily routines and changes to the developing self, which may cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders (Jones et al., 2013). Even after an adolescent survives cancer, he or she may be likely to face chronic adjustment difficulties, cognitive challenges, struggles at school, social deficits, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression (Jones et al., 2013). To address the stressful …

Searching For A Sense Of Place: The Process Of How Adolescent Girls Overcome Suicidality, Tamara Keefner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide and self-harming behaviors are significant public health problems among children and adolescents globally and in the United States. Despite significant advances in recent decades to understand, prevent, and treat childhood and adolescent self-harming and suicide, suicide rates remain high. Since the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention set a goal to reduce suicide deaths and attempts by 40% by 2020, there has been a paradigm shift in the study of suicide yielding significant advances in the understanding of suicide and other forms of self-inflicted injury. This dissertation highlights some of the new developments in the study of suicide. First, …

The Long-Term Consequences Of Adolescents' Comparative Economic Position In School, Kiwoong Park

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The goal of this dissertation project is to investigate how adolescents’ comparative socioeconomic positions within their schools shape their short- and long-term outcomes, including later health, educational expectations and attainment, and the risk of having a nonmarital first birth. Although social comparison theory posits that individual well-being depends on the standings of others with whom one compares oneself, as well as on one’s own absolute standing, the empirical evidence of the theory has been mixed and controversial. This project argues that inconsistent findings may arise from difficulty in measuring reference groups, temporal ambiguity between exposures and outcomes, and methodological limitations.

Positive And Negative Effects Of Social Media On Adolescent Well-Being., Katie Kennedy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Social media use is rapidly growing among adolescents, studies cite that the rates of “constant use” doubled from 2015 to 2018 (Anderson & Jiang, 2018; Lenhart, 2015). Social media use can have a serious negative impact on areas of well-being including feelings of depression, anxiety, fear of missing out, body image, bullying and sleep. Mojtabai, Olfson and Han (2016) cite the problematic use of mobile phones and social media applications as one of the trends aligning with the increase in major depressive episodes. Conversely, use of social media can promote positive feelings of well-being including creating a sense of community, …

The Impact Of Mental Health Issues On Academic Achievement In High School Students, Patricia Lea Sutherland

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

An adolescent’s time in school is not merely academic; they are developing socially, physically, and emotionally. Prior research has demonstrated a correlation between a student’s poor academic performance and his/her need for emotional and mental health support. This research project sought to answer the following research questions: 1) Do mental health services in a high school setting help facilitate students’ academic achievement? and 2) Does a focus on mental health issues improve overall health and well-being in high school students? Participants for this study are 10 staff members (including teachers, administrators, counselors, and others) of a high school in San …

Therapeutic Theatre With Adolescents At-Risk Of School Dropout, Dan Summer

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of therapeutic theatre, a method of drama therapy, on resilience among adolescents at risk of high school dropout. A mixed method approach was employed to qualitatively examine participant perspectives on resilience and quantitatively measure change in resilience. Participants engaged in weekly after-school drama therapy groups to collaborate on developing themes and a script for a performance to be witnessed by an audience of family and community members. Qualitative and quantitative findings were triangulated and embedded to examine relationships. The Behavioral Assessment System for Children Second Edition (BASC-2) and Resilience Scale …

Facilitating Collaboration Among School And Community Providers In Children's Mental Health, Holly J. Curran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interprofessional collaboration among school-based and community-based mental health providers in children's mental has been studied in relation to specific providers and as part of program evaluation; however, limited information exists as to how to overcome barriers to collaborative relationships. This study describes the experiences of school and community mental health service providers and those who supervise them. Using phenomenological methodology, three focus-group interview transcripts were analyzed by identifying recurrent themes relevant to the experience of collaboration from school and community providers' perspectives. Although participants viewed aspects of collaboration positively, barriers frequently interfered with collaborative relationships. Support for collaboration from state, …

Association Of Dietary Intake With Suicidal Ideation Or Suicide Attempts In Adolescents, Zenobia J. Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Suicide is among the leading cause of adolescent deaths worldwide and thus a significant public health concern. Risk factors for suicidal behavior include drinking alcohol, smoking, and engaging in risky sexual behaviors. One area of concern is dietary patterns and their association with depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Bandura's social cognitive theory emphasizes the assumption that one can perform specific actions to bring about desired outcomes. The primary research questions for this quantitative, retrospective, cross-sectional study concerned whether there is a statistically significant interaction between fruit and vegetable intake and suicidal ideation or suicide attempts. Data from 71,776 adolescents in …

Predictors Of Readmission To Youth Counseling Services Among Adolescents In Saskatoon Canada, Felicia Lawal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders are some of the frequently occurring mental illnesses among Canadian children and adolescents that can result in debilitating short and long terms outcomes. The rise in readmission rates for recipients of mental illness in Saskatchewan, coupled with the high incidences of suicide-related deaths, necessitates a patient outcome evaluation for predictors of readmission to youth counseling services among adolescents. The purpose of this secondary data analysis study was to explore the associations between anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, individual counseling, family counseling, group counseling, and the outcome of readmission within 1 year following discharge from …

The Effects Of Family Stressors On Depression In Latino Adolescents As Mediated By Interparental Conflict, Jenny Carolina Mondragon

Theses and Dissertations

Extensive literature suggests that Latino youth experience higher levels of depression when compared to youth from other ethnic backgrounds yet relatively little is known regarding why this particular population is especially susceptible to depression. This study focused on family level stressors and the link between interparental conflict and adolescent depressive symptoms in Latino families. The sample consisted of 400 girls and 290 boys, they were distributed into four groups based on gender and family structure. Written surveys were completed in their respective English classes measuring the aforementioned variables. Results indicated a significant relationship across all four groups between family stressors …

Mindful Classroom: Developing And Testing Strategies For Resilience Among Urban 7th Grade Students, Alyssa Santos

Master's Projects and Capstones

Introduction: A growing body of research suggests mindfulness-based classroom interventions are an effective, low cost approach to reducing the effects of toxic stress among youth. The purpose of this project was to identify key sources of stress among urban 7th grade students at De Marillac Academy and develop and test mindfulness techniques to actively engage and potentially improve stress management skills among students.

Methods: Five focus groups with students were conducted to assess the most prominent sources of stress inside and outside of school as well as current self-management strategies. Additionally, anonymous online surveys were distributed to 7th grade parents, …

Mental Health And Academic Outcomes Among Adolescents In South Korean Orphanages, Hollee Ann Mcginnis

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research conducted over the past 100 years in Western nations support the adverse effects of orphanages on children’s emotional, developmental, and social well-being as well as economic costs to society (Save the Children UK, 2009; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Van IJzendoorn & Juffer, 2008; Williams & Greenberg, 2010). Globally, the number of orphaned and abandoned children is conservatively estimated to be around 143 million, of whom the majority reside in Asia, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (UNICEF, UNAIDS, & USAID, 2004). South Korea (hereafter “Korea”) is an exemplary nation for study because it has a well-established child welfare system, including family-based alternatives (domestic and …

Maternal Monitoring Of Adolescent Type 1 Diabetes Management And Its Influence On Adolescent Quality Of Life And Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Anna Gorzny

DNP Scholarly Projects

While current literature identifies variables such as demographics, parental monitoring, and family functioning and their association with glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus, there has yet to be sufficient evidence identifying and supporting the relationships between the level of maternal monitoring and adolescent psychological wellbeing. The purpose of this scholarly project was to assess whether higher levels of maternal monitoring of diabetes management practices was associated with fewer adolescent depressive symptoms and higher adolescent quality of life. The study sample consisted of 117 adolescents between the ages of 10 and 16 with type 1 diabetes and their …

Mental Health Workout: Lifting Stigma, Jeremy Bambery

Master's Projects and Capstones

Mental illness affects one out of every five Americans between the ages 13-18, and it is estimated that two-thirds of these individuals will not seek treatment due to the stigma associated with having a mental illness or mental health issue (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Access to information and the ability to talk openly without fear will aid in creating a stigma free future. The goal of this project is to supply high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area with information regarding the stigma associated with mental health and mental illness via videos that will be used as …

Adolescent Mentors And The Latino Community, Arazeli L. Melendez

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This research explores mentorship as it developed through the lived experience of adolescents who participated in a community arts outreach program, for a lower SES Latino population. The purpose is to identify different roles of mentorships and relationships that contribute to the program. The literature review looked specifically into adolescents as mentors, understanding the developmental impact on mentees, such as peer relationships and natural mentors focusing on the Latino culture. The art therapy literature looked at art therapy and the affects on the Latino culture as well as art therapy process in community-based programs. Utilizing qualitative methodology the researcher conducted …

The Impact Of Foster Care On Depression: An Examination Of Placement Type And Mental Health Service Utilization Among Children And Adolescents, Kisha Cummings

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Children and adolescents in foster care with a history of complex trauma such as neglect, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse have a greater odds of being clinically diagnosed with depression in adulthood compared to children and adolescents without such a history. The current study examines the prevalence of depression in a national sample of children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years. This study asks whether a) foster care is associated with a greater prevalence of depression among children and adolescents in foster care compared to children and adolescents not in foster care; b) there is an association between …

Exploring The Association Between Maternal Mental Health And Housing Conditions During Early Childhood And Anxiety And Depression At Age 15, Diane Marie Butrym

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

A Systematic Review: Effects Of Psychosocial Interventions On Outcomes In Refugee Adolescents Resettled In The Us, Canada, And The Uk, Lauren Herr, Halle Kurtz

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Abstract

Problem: The number of refugee and displaced people in the United States (US) increases annually. Because of trauma in countries of origin, they may have mental health problems and disrupted adjustments during resettlement, resulting in problems with refugee adolescents and their quality of life, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and overall well-being.

Purpose: To describe and appraise evidence about the effects of psychosocial interventions in refugee adolescents resettled in the US.

Methods: Studies from US, Canada, and the United Kingdom (UK) were identified in four databases. Inclusion criteria included: primary studies, children and/or adolescents, psychosocial health interventions, and refugees.

Review of …

Examining Genetic And Environmental Influences On Alcohol Use And Externalizing Behaviors In African American Adolescents, Neeru Goyal

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to expand our understanding of the etiology of alcohol misuse and related disorders in African Americans using genetically informative study designs. Specifically, we take advantage of the candidate-gene approach and polygenic score analysis to extend the literature specific to African American populations. Chapter 2 explores gene x environment (GxE) interactions through the candidate gene approach to explore the relationship between two genes chosen on their potential relevance to stress response and adolescent alcohol use and misuse, among African American youth living in highly impoverished neighborhoods, as moderated by stressful life events. Chapter 3 implements …

Improving Mental Health Literacy: A Single-Subject Design Experiment Examining The Effects Of Text Messaging On Adolescent Mental Health Literacy, Emma Coffman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to determine the feasibility of delivering a text-based mental health literacy intervention for adolescent children who have family members with mental illness. The effectiveness of the text message intervention was measured using a single subject, multiple baseline study design. Each participant received three text messages per week for a total of 6 weeks, containing information regarding mental illness, managing crisis, resources, stigma, and assertiveness. The subjects were evaluated using qualitative and quantitative measures at multiple periods throughout the study. Assessments utilized include: Schizophrenia Vignette quiz developed by Jorm et. al. (1997), Perceived Stress Scale-14(PSS-14) …

Effects Of Interparental Conflict On Taiwanese Adolescents’ Depression And Externalizing Problem Behavior: A Longitudinal Study, Chih Han Hsieh

Theses and Dissertations

The link between interparental conflict and adolescents’ maladjustment has been well established among European Americans; however, relatively few studies examine these relationships in Chinese societies. This study used longitudinal data from the Taiwan Youth Project (TYP), an on-going longitudinal panel research project focused on adolescent development, in order to examine the relationship between interparental conflict and depressive symptoms and externalizing problem behaviors of adolescents. In addition, this study examined parental warmth as a mediating variable for the relationship between interparental conflict and adolescents’ maladjustment. The results showed that interparental conflict predicted depressive symptoms among adolescents two years later. Mediation analysis …